Sweet N Sassy Stamps October Release Hop

Welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps October Release Hop! There's another fabulous release in the SNSS shop that we've been stamping with and we're so excited to share our projects with you! Hop along and leave a little comment love for the designers linked below and you might just be a lucky winner! 

One lucky comment from all the comments along the hop will win a $25 gift voucher to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps shop!!  The winner will be announced on the SNSS blog, Wednesday, October 21.

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog
Julee Tilman
Ceal Pritchett
Diane Zechman
Esther Asbury
Jane Bosi (that's me!)
Karen Decknick
Lyn Tomlin
Sheri Gilson

I'm so glad you stopped by!!  I have several cards to share on my blog today for the hop!  I was shocked to realize I haven't been on my blog since the last Sweet N Sassy Stamps hop!  I'm going to try to correct that, but truthfully, the bulk of what I share these days, I share on Instagram.  You can find me there @stampmom5

This fun resist features the Christmas Text background along with Welcome Home and Christmas Wordfetti.

This cute little Winter Gnomes card also features All About You and Sentimental Wordfetti (stamped tone on tone in the pink panels).  

Most importantly, will you join me in supporting a family that really needs our love and support?  This beautiful set is now available for preorder.  A full $10 per set sold will be donated to the Saenz family. Together, we can do something amazing for our brother, Nick, and sister, his mom, deep in the trenches battling childhood cancer. 

Fear Not with Consider The Wildflowers

Fear Not with My Friend

Don't forget, the prize this month has increased to a $25 credit in the Sweet N Sassy Stamps shop!!  So many goodies!!  Check it out!

You are off to Karen's blog next.  I'm sure she has some fabulous inspiration for you!

TTFN, Jane

Lost and Found

Hello, Sweet Friends!! Today, I am sharing a few projects I created using the Sweet N Sassy Stamps new release The Shepherd's Voice.  This versatile set is perfect for bible journaling, mixed media, card making and more!

I adore the beautiful shepherd and sheep images of this set! Such a beautiful visual to remind us of the way our Heavenly Father cares for us.  I am so thankful for a God who pursues His lost sheep, who has given me opportunity after opportunity to come back to Him.  I am thankful for a God who came for me and took my debit.  I am thankful for a God who now tells me to follow Him, and is patient in my stumblings.  I am thankful for a relentless grace only Christ gives, because I am a relentless vagabond always seeking to jump ship. He is faithful when I am not; He is constant when I am not; He is everything when I am nothing; yet, He says I am His and that is EVERYTHING! (adapted from TB Laberge/She Rises)

My bible journaling (seen above) features The Shepherd's Voice along with Sunshine Girl and Bitty Minnie alphabets.  

My card, also features The Shepherd's Voice and the Stamp of the Month, Sentimental Wordfetti.  Jut a little dry embossing, a colored image and a sentiment--quick, simple and perfect for just about any occasion!

Thanks for stopping today; be blessed!

TTFN, Jane

Please note, this post contains affiliate links that support my design efforts, at no extra charge to you, and I appreciate when you use them to shop!

Christmas In July Blog Hop!

Affiliate links are included in this post, at no additional charge to you!  I appreciate when you shop using these links!

Y'all!  It's Christmas in July at Sweet N Sassy Stamps and that means both a fun hop full of inspiration AND a super sale!  It's time to plan your holiday projects and SAVE!!  All Christmas and Winter stamp sets are on sale--be sure to check them out!




You definitely want to start at the very beginning so you don't miss any of  the inspiration!

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog

Julee Tilman

Bev Gerard

Ceal Pritchett

Dina Kowal

Gayle Bond

Giovana Smith

Jane Bosi

Jeanne Streiff

Julie Cassell

Lee Ann Barrett

Lyn Tomlin

Monika Davis

Sheri Gilson

Stephanie Serrano

Make sure to leave some kindness in the comments on each stop.  It will enter you for a chance to win a $50 gift voucher for the Sweet N Sassy Stamps store!

My project for today features the sets Thrill of Hope and Christmas Wishes.  Using water color paper, I started by stamping and embossing the deer images.  I created a circular mask using a piece of copy paper with a circle die cut window.  Next, I added the trees using Ranger distress ink. I sponged ink around the edges and then added the sentiment and some sequins to finish things off.

My second card uses Thrill of Hope along with Home for the Holidays. After stamping and embossing the lab image from Home for the Holidays, I added the trees and several layers of distress inks to create a antique-y look.  Once dry, I added some red glitter glue to sparkle up the trees and some snowflakes.

Don't forget to share some love at each stop on the hop and be entered to win a $50 gift voucher for the Sweet N Sassy Stamps store!  Enjoy the rest of the hop.....You're off to see what Jeanne Streiff has to share next.  I'm positive it's going to be amazing!

TTFN, Jane

Time to HOP! July Release with Sweet N Sassy Stamps!

It's blog hop day!!  I'm so excited to share, with the rest of my Sweet N Sassy Stamps team, all the fabulous new goodies in our July release!  Hop along to the blogs linked below for all sorts of paper crafting inspiration and a chance to win! Just leave a little shout out in the comment section on each stop along the way for a chance to win a $10 gift voucher to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps shop.  If you've not started from the very beginning, you'll want to head over the the Sweet N Sassy Stamps blog HERE.  The hop line up is also found at the end of my post!

I'm sharing two cards which feature Walk by Faith and the Stamp of the Month, Sentimental Wordfetti.  I cannot seem to get enough of either!

I like to make use of my huge collection of dies and embossing folders whenever I can.  None of the dies I've used are carried in the SNSS store, but come from various sources that I've hoarded.......er .....collected over the years!  I'm also a huge fan of fussy cutting--which is how I added those cute glasses from the Walk by Faith set to my card.  My second card also features those cute glasses......they are addicting!

My post contains affiliate links for when you shop, at no extra charge to you.  I appreciate your comments and support!  Be sure to leave a little shout out on all the blogs to be entered to win a gift voucher for the Sweet N Sassy Stamps Store!  Good Luck!

Here is the blog hop list for your convenience!

Sweet'n Sassy Blog
Julee Tilman
Cathy McCauley
Ceal Pritchett
Diane Zechman
Jane Bosi  (that's me!)
Lucinde van Ballegooijen
Lyn Tomlin
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Stephanie Serrano

Enjoy!  Jane

The Rainbow Connection

Hey Friends!  I'm playing along with the Sweet N Sassy Stamps VIP challenge for May!  I'm sneaking in during the last days of the challenge, because that's just how I roll!

I have my own rendition of the popular rainbow wash card above....I've seen this concept in a lot of places featuring many different companies.  For my card, I used a rainbow assortment of Ranger distress inks to create my colorful background.  Stamps from Go God's Way and God Is Bigger make this a simple and fun card!

For my second card, I created a rainbow panel using various Ranger Distress Oxide inks.  Maybe you've already gathered that the distress inks are some of my favorite. I generally do most of my water coloring with distress inks.  They have good color saturation and are easy to work with.  The oxide version is more chalky and blends beautifully with the other colors.  The ink's reactivity with water is the other point of high interest. You can see the water marks in my skyline created with a misting of water. 

I completed my card using Landscape Silhouettes and a sentiment from Keep In Touch, Too.

Thanks for stopping by!  

TTFN, Jane

Verse Mapping: Proverbs 22:6

Happy Sweet Sunday, Friends!  I'm taking a few moments out of an already fun holiday weekend to share a new creative love of mine--verse mapping!  Nothing can pull me in quicker that an opportunity to combine stamping with God's Word!  I've been learning about this form of study and process for digging deeper into God's Word in a facebook group called Sacra Via. It has truly transformed the way I study and therefore, I wanted to share it with you!

I started this on Mother's Day.  It's a brand new art journal and I couldn't think of a verse more dear to a parental heart than Proverbs 22:6  "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

The first part of the study involves looking at a specific scripture using a variety of translations.  I generally read from the ESV, but also like to look at other translations which can add to the richness of a particular verse.  Some of my other favorite translations are the New King James Version (NKJV), The Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) and The Message Bible (MSG).  Another fan favorite is the New International Version (NIV).  I use a few apps, including the Blue Letter Bible app, to look up translations, commentaries, cross references and word definitions.

I particularly like the OJB since I have a strong desire to know the Hebrew language.  We lose something in the translation from Hebrew to English.  I find it fascinating and enriching to look at the full meaning of the Hebrew words. 

The next steps is to look at cross references--other places in God's Word where the same notion or words are used.

The framework looks at the foundation of the verse--the book, it's author, the context and culture in which the writing first occurred.  The final step leads to application of the verse in my own life; what I learned and it's purpose.  

From a purely creative viewpoint, this form of study makes a great case for hoarding alphabets and beautiful images!  In this two page layout, I've used the following stamp sets from Sweet N Sassy Stamps:  Shake it Off Caps, Shake it Off Lowercase, Skinny Caps, Cold Coffee Alpha, Teeny Alpha, Happy Day, Fantastic Flowers, Seek Him, All in All and Surrounded In Prayer.  Rather than linking to each individual set, you can see the whole store HERE using my affiliate link.

Have a great rest of your weekend--TTFN, Jane

The Brokenhearted

Hello, Friends!! Today, I am sharing several projects featuring Peony Cluster, a new release from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps--the Stamp of the Month (free with purchase!).  I'm also sharing my heart and a prayer journal I'm working in.  I'm glad that you've stopped by today!!

How grateful I am that the Lord is near to me when I am brokenhearted!  My heart breaks over a lot of things.  Sometimes, it's things in my own life and other times, it is broken over the children I serve in my day job or other stories in the world around me.

His Word, in Psalm 34, reminds us that He is near to us all the time, especially in our brokenness; when our spirit is crushed, when we feel cut off, when we are in pieces, and when we are hurt or torn--both in body and in spirit.  The word used in this verse--"near"-- is the Hebrew word qarowb (ka.rove').  It is used to describe place, time and relationship.  How awesome that we see very clearly that we are never alone?  Never.  He is close by.  He is right now!  We can have a personal relationship with the One who is Creator of all!!  He loves you deeply, wholly, eternally, personally!  Rest in that oh, weary souls!

I created my card (above) using alcohol based markers and sponging some distress inks for an overall shabby look.  The new Peony Cluster set, from Sweet N Sassy Stamps, is a versatile set that is really perfect for any occassion--birthday, anniversary, encouragement, sympathy--it's gorgeous and fun to color!

That said, I'm not really a flower person--I mean, I like them, I just  don't know anything about them. I have no idea what color actual peonies are.  This gives me great freedom.  I can color them however I wish!

I picked up this super cool prayer journal at a thrift store for a few dollars. I can't tell you what a treasure I have found this to be!! It's called The Weekly Prayer Project:  A Challenge to Journal, Pray, Reflect and Connect with God--that last part always gets me.  It was absolutely spotless....but not for long!

I used a variety of stamp sets and inks.  It rather evolved as I went along.  Stamp sets used:  Peony Cluster, Jesus & Coffee, God Is Bigger, and Sunshine Girl Alphabet.  So much wisdom in all of God's Word (obviously!) but I am continually struck and grateful when He places, in front of me, the exact Word I need in the most unexpected and ordinary ways.  When you look, you will see God's hand in everything!

Be Blessed!  Jane

Coffee & Puppies

Happy Friday!! Today, I'm participating in the Spring/Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.  To see more about this, visit the hop HERE.   I'm featuring a brand new goodie from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps along with a tried and true favorite set!!

Paw-some Pals is a brand new set full of kitty and puppy images to meet all your pet needs!  How sweet is that bull dog? And, those kittens...... I chose to combine the little chihuahua with the coffee cup from  Fill Me Up for a couple of reasons.

I love coffee, but hadn't had any in a good long while, until recently.  When I went through chemotherapy, I stopped a lot of stuff and coffee was one of those things.  As I continue to recover and my body continues to receive God's healing grace, I've started to consider the health benefits of a dark roast once again!  YUM!  I recently went to a fair trade expo and bought a bag of Guatemalan beans.  You guys, this is the BEST coffee!  I've only had it on a few occasions so, it could be an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" situation, but still.........YUM!

I have a not so secret fantasy of having a pocket puppy--a cute little pupper who will fit in the front pocket of my overalls--LOL, I don't really have overalls, but would totally get some if I had a puppy to put in the pocket!  I love this cute little chihuahua for that reason!  I stamped him first and then masked him off and added the coffee cup.  I added some distress ink water coloring around the main image, also coloring the rest with distress inks.  It's my favorite way to color these days.  To finish off my card, I added a tab and some stitching--super simple ways to add that little extra interest!

I appreciate it when you shop Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps using my affiliate links :)  http://www.sweetnsassystamps.com/?aff=24

TTFN, Jane

Birthday Blessings

It's the start of birthday season in my world!!  The season always starts with my momma's day in April.  I do work on birthday cards a lot, but as the season starts, I'll be in full bday card form!  I shared some of the cards I made for my nephews in this post called For The Boys.  Boy cards are always the toughest ones!!  Today, I'm sharing some sweet, flowery cards.  The card above features the Delightful Daisies set from the Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps April release.

I was really just goofing around with my stamps when they first came.  I couldn't wait to ink them up and see how they stamped.  I had a mess of gelli print scraps on my desk so, I grabbed one.  Afterward, I used my white gel pen and colored in the flower petals.  The gel ink is thick enough to cover up most of the background color.  When I made the gelli print, I used distress inks so, coloring the stem worked out great.  The green ink is darker and just blended with the colors that were already on the paper.  I took the sentiments from another SNSS set, Spring Blossoms.

My final card, is the one I made for my mom!  It features the Stamp of the Month:  Happy Day!  It is your gift with purchase of $75 or more.  It's beautiful--I love it.

For this card, I stamped the roses using the masking technique.  I then layered in several different colors of distress ink.  And, then, I took a risk (for me-you smarties likely knew what would happen already).  I covered each rose with distress glaze--which to my happy surprize, acted like a resist.  I was able to dip the card into a blue wash to fill in the white spaces.  I added some extra ink with a stencil for texture and--wahla!  A birthday wish......you can see the details on Happy Day right here.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jane

*All links on this post are affiliate links.  When you shop using these links, you are supporting me as I earn a small commission through the use of the affiliate links.  Thank you!

But, Thou...

On a recent thrifting trip, I was lucky enough to find this old hymnal titled "Book of Worship for US Forces."  Naturally, I had to have it--God and country?  Yes, please! It was printed in 1974, and though my brain says that was just a few years ago, it has a great vintage feel to it.  As I was paging through the hymnal, my eyes landed on this song that I had never heard of before--certainly not in the top 10 hymns of all time!

The song is called "Where Restless Crowds Are Thronging."  It goes like this:

Where restless crowds are thronging along the city ways,

Where pride and greed and turmoil consume the fevered days,

Where vain ambitions banish all thoughts of praise and prayer,

The people's spirits waver, But thou, O Christ, art there.

There are two more verses, but you get the idea.

It so resonated with me.  The very human condition.  We are restless, ambitious; full of pride and greed.  And, yet, He reaches out to separate us from that which will surely mean our death.  As I pondered the words of the song, the idea to journal it came about.  I was thinking specifically about the words that are spoken over us and how we repeat them.  I started thinking about the youth of today and the impact of social media on their development.  It reminded me of the song, American Noise by Skillet.

"Angry words and honking cars

Satellites and falling stars

Distant dark blue radios that whisper down my boulevards

Ghosts and chains rattle in the attic

Broken headphones filled with static

Lonely room you've got nowhere to run"

But thou, O Christ, art there!!  Praise His steadfast and holy name!!  We can turn off the noise and find peace in Him.  The author and perfecter of our faith!  He cares about the noise and offers us a way out--how awesome is that?

Because I was dwelling on all of the beautiful teen girls I know who are struggling with the noise and seeking the way out, I had to use the brand new Walk Humbly set from Sweet N Sassy stamps.  This set was designed by team member, Colleen Gaddie and it is adorable!!  It is such a versatile set; for sure a must have!

Do you not just love those images?  I have so many ideas for this one little set--I need a month of solitude and stamping!! As if--right?  My hymnal page also uses stamps from Forever and Always and the Typewriter Blocks Alphabet.  Please be aware that when I link in my post to the actual stamp set, these are affiliate links.  When you shop using these links, I earn a small commission, and appreciate your support!

Here's a super quick and simple card also featuring Walk Humbly and His Love--just a scrap of some gelli printed paper and a few quick images/sentiments.  Ya'll we don't have to be super complicated, layered up and color with highlights!!  It's still a paper hug :)

And.....you are beautiful!  Have a great day and leave the noise for His peace.

Amen.  In Him, Jane

Made New

Hello, Sweet Friends!  Today, I'm sharing this easy peasey reverse canvas with a tutorial!!  It features the stamp sets from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps, Made New and Scribble Flowers.  By the way, when you shop from this post, you are using my affiliate links.  I appreciate your support!

You will need:

a canvas--mine measures 6x6

burlap

paint or gesso

embossing paste or modeling cream

Mog Podge

stamps, paper and ink

coloring tools

decorative

tissue paper

bible page or patterned paper

To start, turn your canvas over so you are working on the back side.  The canvas is typically stapled to the wooden frame.  The burlap strips will cover the staples and create a nice rustic surface to work on.  Naturally, you could use a variety of mediums to cover, including pattern papers.  In fact, I found a paper pad at my local Hobby Lobby that is all burlap paper!  Burlap on one side, smooth paper on the other---perfect for this project!!  Cut four burlap strips and apply with a generous amount of mod podge.

 You'll have great luck piecing things together if you bevel each end.  Let it dry completely; overnight if possible.

Next, trim a piece of patterned paper or a bible page to fit inside the canvas.  

You'll want to apply mod podge to both the paper/page and the bottom of the canvas.  Insert the paper, quickly moving it into position.  You can use your heat gun to speed up the drying process for this step. 

Next, cover the burlap frame with paint or gesso.  This creates a cool shabby look! 

Let the paint or gesso dry completely.  I got a little excited and placed my butterflies in the center--I would recommend you wait until the last step--see below.

Using modeling paste (mine is gold) or embossing paste and your stencil, add a design to the frame.

Stamp your sentiment on tissue paper and trim as close to the image as possible

The tissue paper will become virtually invisible when you mod podge it to your frame.  Be sure to pick a spot that has solid coverage of paint/gesso.  Lay down a layer of mod podge, then the tissue paper sentiment, and another layer of mod podge on the top.  Let this dry completely.

THIS is the step where you stamp, color and trim your images.  Arrange the images in a pleasing way and...... 

BOOM! Your work of art is complete!

TTFN, Jane

You Are Loved

Happy Thursday! Today, I have more to share from the Sweet 'N Sassy Stamp's March release!!  My cards feature the set Genuine Love--such a fun and affordable little set that is so very versatile!

Both cards are sweet and simple--easy to replicate with just a few supplies.  I used distress inks, some sponging, stitching and a few sequins!  The top card also uses All About You--another versatile set that can be just the right thing for many occasions.

The good news for the day is always the Good News!!  You are loved. 

TTFN, Jane

Keep Me Planted...

Hello, Sweet Friends!!

I've just started reading in the Psalms.  Right out of the gate, we are encouraged and instructed!  Oh, that I should be like a tree.....

Blessed is the man....

...but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

Anticipating that I would be in the Psalms soon (I'm reading cover to cover), I ordered this Scripture Journal.  I'm not sure why, but it was a little daunting to get going in it!  It's such a beautiful book!

I hemmed and hawed for a few days and then finally just dove in!  To complete this layout, I used stamps from Sweet N Sassy Stamps and distress inks.  I used Scene Silhouettes: Trees--I was so nervous to stamp that tree, but it turned out great!!  I inked the whole image with a green colored distress ink and then used a dark brown distress marker to go over the trunk and branches.  I also used Skinny Caps Alphabet, Skinny Lowercase Alphabet and Typewriter Blocks Alphabet.

The month has come to a close--can you believe it, already!!  That means......it's the last day to qualify for the beautiful stamp of the month, Made New. 

It also means....it's just about release time!!  Stay tuned! 

TTFN
Jane
If you're placing an order, use promo code JANE10 for 10% off your order of $10 or more. 👍

Love Others

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.....God is love....In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 7-11

Beloved.  If God loved us so much, we ought to love one another.

My kids' schools sponsor a kindness initiative every year.  My son is currently sporting an armful of kindness bracelets he has earned.  At school, there are positive statements on their walls and their lips. They are doing a great job!!  I have great faith in my God that his purposes will be realized both through the direct speaking of His Word in a variety of places and in less obvious ways.  I believe the initiatives of the world, in the pubic schools and other secular places, will also point to Him whether it is realized or not :)  His plans are perfect; he purposes it all.

I was inspired by a bible journaled page created by Haley Tyron on one of my facebook groups.  She had created a lovely page with a rainbow of watercolored hearts.  I immediately thought of Forever & Always from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps--the perfect stamp set for this page for those of us who are drawing impaired!  I added the side sentiments using Send Me.  It took me longer to catalog my distress inks (a long overdue project) than it did to finish this page.  If you are looking to add to your stamp collection and shopping SNSS, you can also SAVE by using my code JANE10. 

More than anything, I wish you a day of love.  And one anothers.  :)
TTFN, Jane

I Chews You....

Hello, Sweet Friends!  It's time to start thinking about Valentines---can you believe it is February already??  Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps has a brand new release this month and it is fabulous!!  You can see the whole release here.  The early bird bundle is available until Saturday; you don't want to miss this one!!

There's also an AMAZING Stamp of the Month--FREE (with purchase):  Made New

I used Forever & Always alone to create the above card, and then combined it with a few other SNSS favorites for this fun card:

 In addition to Forever & Always:  Sweet As Candy and In Stitches Alphabet

What could be happier than candy faces?  LOL!

Have a sweet day!  Jane