A Farewell Hop

This is a bittersweet hop as the TCM team says goodbye to The Craft's Meow. It's bitter for me because it's always hard to say goodbye to something that has been a big part of my crafting life the last two years. I will miss the regular interaction with the team and the excitement of seeing the new stamp designs coming up. It has been a privilege to see the DT's beautiful handiwork applied to my designs. I'm truly thankful for each of them.

This is also a sweet moment not just for me, but also for Lisa, the owner of TCM. Lisa is about to embark on a new chapter of her professional life that necessitates the change. And I support her wholeheartedly as she faithfully obeys God's direction.

For me, TCM's closing comes at an opportune time. God's timing is always perfect. My family and ministry life is taking up more time than ever and I welcome the change. (I'm not going away completely though, since I still do product design for other companies.) And I couldn't be happier for Lisa as she pursues what she believes God is leading her to. It is an exciting place to be! Not because of the unknown, but because we get to practice our trust in Him. We get to put into action our faith in a benevolent God who sees the bigger picture of our lives.

Now, onto today's projects. I have 2 cards that show how I feel today. The first card is for all the TCM fans out there who have joined us in this journey. Thank you for your support and sharing the joys of new stamps and using them to brighten somebody's day. I used the Chalkboard Birthday stamp set. The papers and lace stickers are by Hot Off the Press and bling by Want2Scrap.

My second card is for all those affected by TCM's closing more directly: Lisa, the illustrators, designers and others. What a fitting word of encouragement as we look ahead to the future, knowing that God is there all the way and His promises are ever true. I used Chalkboard Faith for the main sentiment.

Saying goodbye to TCM is bittersweet indeed, but I think the sweet could prove to be more important, and definitely longer lasting, than the bitter part because God is in it and He never, ever disappoints. 

If you came from the talented Lindsay Amrhein's blog, then you're at the right place. TCM is closing its doors at the end of December. All stamp sets have been marked down by as much as 75%! Stock is limited... once it's gone, it's gone for good, so please shop early for the best selection. All orders of $25 or more will receive a free gift with purchase. Flat rate shipping is $3.00 for all US orders and $12 for all International orders. Please see the store blog for details, or click over to The Craft's Meow store to start shopping!And from here, you need to stop by sweet Larissa Heskett's blog.

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DecoArt Want2Scrap Wall Hanging

The Want2Scrap team has been gifted with some super cool DecoArt products like acrylic paints, gesso, lustre, etc. I would've never thought I'd enjoy these media so much, but I have! I count myself a straightforward card maker, but since I've started dabbling with mixed media, I have enjoyed myself immensely by trying something new. I still have lots to learn, but am glad to be given the opportunity to play with DecoArt's fabulous products.

Here's a name wall hanging I made for my daughter. I used the following products for my project.

Want2Scrap Products Used:

• Designer Embellies - 8x10 Corrugated
• Beautiful Bling Borders - Mardi Gras 

DecoArt Products:

• DecoArt Gesso
• DecoArt Peacock Gold Paper Effects

Other Products Used:

• Hot Off the Press Color Me™ Card Toppers Ebony Floral
• Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
• Copic markers
• Embellishments: paper flowers, lace, seam binding, twill tape, eyelets 

I first painted gesso on the corrugated cardboard and decorate it with papers, flowers, chipboard letters, lace and Want2Scra bling. To hang it, I punched holes on the upper corners, inserted eyelets, then threaded some twill through.

These letters were painted with DecoArt Paper Effects. I love the marbled look.

Make sure you check out the Want2Scrap team's beautiful projects on the Want2Scrap blog and be inspired. How would you like to win a pretty cool prize package? Make sure you enter here! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Happy World Cardmaking Day 2013!

I am excited to participate in today's World Card Making Day festivities. I'm blog hopping today with the Paper Crafts Magazine. You can see the full list of participants HERE. In a few hours, I'll be hosting some ladies for a card making party in my home. It's still a novelty here and I'm glad I can share this hobby with my friends here. I believe this is the 3rd in a row that I've hosted a party on WCMD. As you can see on the photos below, we love card making!

Here are my cards today. The first one is Christmas. I did emboss resist on the background using Penny Black's All is Bright stamp set. The dear is Spellbinders' Frosty Forms dies. I added a small Want2Scrap pearl on his nose and some Twinery bow on top.

I hand cut the snowy hills. The sentiment is SRM Stickers Fancy Sentiments Christmas.

My second card uses a stamp set I've been using a lot lately, The Craft's Meow's Chalkboard Faith. The papers are by Hot Off the Press. The intricate doily and lace stickers are also by HOTP. And they are my new favorites. I'm entering this to Moxie Fab World's Sticker and Tape Challenge.

Don't you just love the quote? I added a strip of Want2Scrap pearls on the side and on the tag.

And here are a couple of photos of our past card making parties in Croatia.

 

To continue on with the rest of the hope, please go here --->>> Brandi Hall. You can see the full list here:  WCMD Blog Hop List. Thank you for joining us and happy hopping!

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Great Hearts Vintage Card

 I have a shabby vintage card for you today using Chalkboard Faith again. This is one of those sets that I  selfishly made just because I want to use it on my cards :). I especially love this quote by C. Spurgeon. Its message can bring hope to any troubled friend.

I used Hot Off the Press' Penelope papers. I just love this very vintage and colorful collection. I inked the edges of the panels and did some stitching to add to the vintage look.

The friend sentiment is from Kindred Spirits, also by TCM. It's accented by Want2Scrap pearls and mounted the sentiment using SAby3L Foam Squares. I adhered using SAby 3L Dodz. Various buttons and paper flowers, that were laying on my desk, were used to anchor the sentiment. And finally a twill bow embellished the card. I'm entering this to Moxie Fab World's Ready Made Embellishments challenge.

Have a super weekend, friends!

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Dear Friend

***Before my main post, I just want to remind you all that Google Reader will be shut down on July 1, 2013. If you haven't done so, please follow my blog through Bloglovin' (HERE are easy to follow instructions on the migration process) and NinaB Designs Facebook, and I'm also on Pinterest. Thank you, friends!***

It has been a very busy week. We had 15 guests from America who helped us organize an English Camp in our little Croatian town. We had almost 200 kids and had to reject over 50 because of limited space. It was a lot of work for everyone, but SO worth it! Christ was exalted; memories were made; new friendships were formed and old ones renewed. It was another successful camp and many kids are already looking forward to 2014! I'm thankful for all the many friends, both Croats and Americans, who made it possible.

Today's card is one I made for TCM's recent release but didn't get to post due to the camp. I used two of my latest sets, Beautiful Rose and Fancy Flourishes, this month's FREE with $50 purchase or you can purchase it by itself for $12. The papers are again the lovely Penelope by Hot Off the Press. The pearls are by Want2Scrap.

The beautiful lacey circle is die cut using Spellbinders Asian Accents. Seam binding with a small rose flower add more to the feminine flair. Is it too girly? :)

Here are my TCM June release stamps:

Beautiful Rose

by Nina B Designs

compatible with Spellbinders Labels 8

Sweet Memories

by Nina B Designs

compatible with Project Life

Fancy Flourishes

by Nina B Designs

4 x 4

$12 or Free Gift With $50 Purchase!

Samples:

I might be MIA from my blog for a while, but I will be back. I am thankful for your visits and comments!

The Craft's Meow's June Release Blog Hop

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's June Release Blog Hop. Thank you for joining us today. If you came from Lin's blog, then you're at the right spot. To see the full list, make sure you visit the TCM blog. I have 2 cards to show you today.

My first card uses 3 of the new sets: Beautiful Rose (rose), Sweet Memories (frame) and Kindred Spirits (sentiment). The papers on both cards are Penelope by Hot Off the Press. The pearls are by Want2Scrap. The rose was colored with Copic markers.

For this one, I used Sweet Memories, Beautiful Rose (sentiment and circle rose) and an old favorite, Beautiful Spring (butterfly).

Here you can see better the dimensions of my card. I love using my Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Squares to achieve this. The circle rose was die cut using a Spellbinders Classic Circle die.

The Craft's Meow is giving away all the new sets. Participants are not required to leave comments on each blog, but they have a better chance to win because TCM will randomly draw a name from one of our blogs for a winner. The deadline to comment is 8:00pm PDT, Saturday June 23rd.

Your next stop is my friend -->> Sharri<<--.

 On a personal note, I just want to say thank you to so many of you who emailed, sent me a note and commented saying that you're praying for me during my gallbladder problems. Your prayers were answered in so many ways. God's goodness has been evident every step of the way. I am still on the mend and trying to taking it slow. I hope to be back to normal soon.

TCM Previews: Beautiful Rose

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's June previews. Today we're showing the Beautiful Rose set, which includes a collage label (that can fit inside Spellbinders Labels 8 dies), line art for coloring, sweet sentiments, etc.

I stamped the Rose label and colored it with Copics, then die cut it. The papers are Penelope by Hot Off the Press. These gorgeous papers are so beautifully coordinated. I will be showing more of this collection in future posts.

The borders are die cut with Spellbinders Classic Petal Edgeabilities, which are accented with Want2Scrap pearls. The label and borders were adhered using SAby3L's 3D Foam Squares.

Make sure you go to the TCM blog for more info on today's previews. Have a great day!