Top 10 Blog Hop 2017

It's time! It's time!

It's the Top 10 Blog Hop for 2017 - so many of your favorite crafty bloggers to visit - many with giveaways. If you didn't arrive here from the talented Tracey McLennon's blog, be sure check below and start at the very beginning to follow the links to each blog.
A complete list and the next blog hop link is at the bottom of my post.

Enjoy my favorite 10 posts from 2017!

I shared several snow day layouts in one of my first posts of 2017.

Faith Planner pages.

A few pages from my 2017 Lenten Journal.

One of my favorite projects.

Love this cute little bag and matching card.

Bible Journaling Page.

Journaling the Lord's Prayer.

Teacher's Calendar Gifts.

Stamped Lettering in my Faith Planner.

Worship Bible Journaling Page.

Thanks for checking out some of my favorite posts from this year. B
e sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more inspiration.
Your next stop: Lynne Blodgett

May the New Year bring you and your family beautiful blessings! xoxoxo, Karen

Complete Blog Hop List

Christine Meyer

Kathy Skou

Kathleen Graumüller

Teri Anderson

Susie Bentz

Janice Daquila-Pardo

Giorgia Rossini

Laurel Seabrook  

Aimee Kidd

Mary Ann Jenkins

Keren Tamir

Lee-Anne Thornton

Heather Leopard

Tifany DeGough  

Sue Eldred

Melissa Elsner

Laura Whitaker

Anita Mulcahey

Ashley Smith

Simone Schermann

Shelly Kurth

Monique Liedtke

Suzanna Lee

Marcia Dehn-Nix  

Laura Cox

Irit Shalom

Nicole Martel

Carolyn Johnson

Tenia Nelson

Samantha Taylor  

Rebecca Keppel

Judy Hayes

Isha Gupta

Traci Penrod

Tracy McLennon

Karen Hunter

Lyne Blodgett

Anna Sigga

Lisa Moen

Kat Benjamin

Wendy Antenucci  

Bible Journaling Worship & Praise

One of the main reason I Bible journal is because it gives me the time to meditate on specific words of scripture. While I am coloring or painting or stamping, I am repeating scripture in my mind and contemplating the meaning of these precious words. The creative process draws me in and allows me to linger longer in the Word. My page today gave me the chance to target specific words and think about the many reasons to worship and praise our amazing God.

Psalm 29 is a psalm of worship and praise. It wasn't difficult to find many of the words used in this psalm in stamp form on SRM's two "wordfetti-style" faith stamp sets - Daily Devotion and Scripture Notes. These two sets contain multiple words that can be used in a variety of ways. 

After lettering "worship" and coloring it in with marker and watercolor twists, I added several word stamps to emphasize some of the words in the Psalm. I also added a star stamp from another set, Child of God. I created the background using the watercolor twists and a water brush. Then, I added a few highlights with my white pen. I really like how this page turned out and am grateful for the time to worship and praise God through Bible journaling. Be blessed!

For this project I used:

Marvy Uchida LePlume markers | Watercolor Twist Pencils | Water Brush | White Gel Pen | Child of God stamp set | Daily Devotion stamp set | Scripture Notes stamp set

Festive Thank You Card Gift Set

A set of cute thank you notes is a great gift for teachers or friends. I'm still a believer in sending personalized thank you notes and I know there are others out there who appreciate those handwritten notes, too. Using SRM's stickers makes producing several sets really easy. My cards have a cute Christmas theme and will be given to my daughter's teachers. I think they will appreciate them!

I found a bright striped paper in my holiday stash and used it as the main background for this cards set. I think layers add so much to cards, especially when you want to keep it simple like these. I incorporated a cute star / list stamp from the School Days Planner set and added the traditional Christmas colors to match the theme. The Thank You sentiment is from a non-holiday Stickers By the Dozen set and the cute gingerbread man is from the Stickers By the Dozen Gingerbread Man set. I also grabbed my pre-cut scalloped circle shapes from my stash. You could use a punch or a die cut to make these quickly, too. 

A set of 7-10 cards plus envelopes fit nicely in an A7 size clear box. I added red and silver crinkly paper to my box, too, which really makes it look festive. Nothing more is needed but a bit of twine to tie it all together.

For this project I used:

School Days Planner stamp set | Stickers by the Dozen-Gingerbread Man | Stickers by the Dozen-Thank You | A7 Clear Box | Red and Black Twine

Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving is such a special time to spend with friends and family. It's fun to make the decor and table settings special. Here's a quick and easy idea for you to try. Tuck your fancy silverware in a small dotted pouch marked with the initial of each guest in vinyl. Don't forget to add a small piece card at each place setting for guests to record what they are most thankful for. These cards make great additions in a planner or scrapbook with photos of the day's festivities.

Watch it come together in this quick video.

For this project, I used:

Black Dot mini pouch | Black dotted vinyl | Mini Calendar Stickers | Year of Memories Stickers | Express Yourself Thanksgiving Stickers

Bible Background Stamps

Today I'm sharing several ways I utilized SRM's Bible Background stamp set this week. My favorite technique is using the "amen" Bible background to dress up plain white letters. 

After cutting the letters in my die cut machine (or use stickers), I randomly stamped on top of them before removing them from the cutting mat. I also added a bit of marker wash to give them colors that coordinated with my faith planner layout for the week. 

To watch me complete this technique and for a few more ideas using Bible background stamps, watch my process video below!

For this project I used:

Bible Background stamps | Sermon Notes stamps | Marvy Uchida LePlume markers

Bible Journaling with Stamps

In the Book of Exodus, God tells Moses,

"Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you'" (3:14).

God, I AM, is past, present, and future. 

He is, as the verb indicates, the essence of all being. 

God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one. 

For this page, I began by stamping Father, Son, & Holy Spirit in yellow. I felt it was a little too light, so I added darker yellow/gold layers with my ColorIn Watercolor Twists and waterbrush. I repeatedly stamped "I am" over the yellow and added the "amen" block stamp throughout the page.

I repeated the element of 3 with three mixed media leaves.

We are so incredibly blessed by a God who wants to be, and is, present with us. He meets all our needs because He is all things. Be blessed today as you reflect on the great I AM.

For my bible journaling page I used:

BIG Trinity stamp set | Bible Backgrounds stamp set | I Am stamp set | ColorIn Watercolor Twists | WaterIn Blending Brush

Mixed Media Home Decor

I love fall and can't help creating a project or two featuring fall's rich colors. Today I'm sharing a fun mixed media project with lots of layers! 

Watch this video to see this project come together.

The finished project with all its yummy layers, including: paper, paint, washi tape, clear stickers, stamps, vinyl, and jute twine.

I'm ready to decorate for fall. Are you, too?

For this project, I used:

Sticker Stitches Halloween | Live Life Calendar Year | Calendar Companion | Express Yourself Thanksgiving | Say It With Stickers Thanksgiving | Burgundy Jute Twine | SRM Vinyl

Coffee Card

I love the increasing crispness to the mornings, lately. Fall is in the air. This cute coffee card is just the thing to brighten a friend's day. I used my Cricut to cut the coffee cup, a bit of fall washi to decorate the lid, and SRM's "Coffee Plans" stamps for the sentiments and beans. Enjoy!

Need more coffee inspiration? 

There's a whole hop with prizes at the Coffee Lovers Blog!

Check it out HERE!

Simple Birthday Cards Set

Do you still send out birthday cards to friends and family? I'm not always perfect at it, but I do enjoy sending out handmade birthday greetings. Last week I dug into my stash to look for a birthday card and discovered I was out (sorry to all those early August b-days).

When I need to make a lot of cards, I settle on one design that I can duplicate easily. For this set of birthday cards, I used my die-cut machine to cut and assemble several cupcakes. I find it easier to do several images at the same time and make a sort of assembly line process. To fancy up these cupcakes, I even added some glitter at their final stage.

Once all the cupcakes were assembled and dry, the cards were super easy and quick to put together. I used plain white cardstock for the base and two layers of patterned cardstock on the front. Then I added one or more cupcakes and a clear sentiment sticker or two. There are so many to choose from in SRM's collections.

As seen in the first photo, I packaged up a few to share. Five cards plus envelopes easily fit into a flat glassine bag touched simply with a ribbon, "just for you" sentiment, and a green stripe at the bottom.

Better go get some more stamps!

For this project, I used:

Glassine bags | Stickers by the Dozen, Take 2 Birthday | We've Got Your Stickers Plus Birthday | Fancy Sicker Sentiments Birthday | We've Got Your Invite Party Time! | We've Got Your Sticker Happy | Jute Twine Mint

Personalized Pencil Case with Vinyl

My daughter needed a pencil case for school, so we found this one in her favorite color with the added bonus of it being shimmery and came with a fun tassle. But, the top was a little plain - or perhaps, as we decided, it was the perfect canvas for a bit of personalization.

Before I applied the vinyl, we decided to add a bit more color. It was a fun and easy activity to do together as we used the eraser side of a pencil to add dots of greens and blues for the perfect backdrop to the gold vinyl initials.

I used my die cut machine to cut her initials and a cat silhouette with gold shimmery vinyl. 

We love vinyl for all kinds of back-to-school personalizations - water bottles, lunch containers, folders and notebooks, bookbags. What will you personalize today?

I used: SRM Vinyl

Mini Calendar Teacher Gift

It's almost time! The summer is winding down and school supplies are stacking up. Today, I'm sharing a cute back to school calendar project for your favorite teachers. I started with a mini clipboard that I covered with school themed washi tape.

Then I grabbed all my school themed SRM stickers and the 2017 and 2018 calendar stickers. Using precut 3x4 journaling cards, I used the calendar stickers and lots of SRM stickers to create a fun card for each month. Each card is fun and unique.

For this project, I used lots of stickers from these SRM collections:

Mini Calendar Standard for 2017 and 2018 | Year of Memories 2018 | Express Yourself School | Live Life School | Say It With Stickers Teacher | FreeStyle School | 

Shout! Bible Journaling Page

We attended our church's Vacation Bible School recently and this story in Joshua was the focus for one of the day's activities. Through the power and might of God alone, Joshua and the Israelites took the city of Jericho. God showed his mighy power as He caused the walls of the city to fall flat. "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city." -Joshua 6:16. 

For more details on how I created this Bible journaling page, visit the SRM Creative Blog.

Fitness Tracker Traveler's Notebook

So, like many of you, I find myself in a position where I need to pay more attention to my health and fitness. I am trying to exercise more and I thought if I made a notebook to track my progress I would be more motivated. With the help of some SRM stamps, I'd like to introduce my simple fitness tracker traveler's sized notebook.

Cute, hey? I used some scrapbook paper and cards from the stash and embellished them with stamps. The new mini alpha, found on the "Pray Journal Repeat" set helped me label my notebook "health and fitness." To remind me to "just do it" I randomly stamped {DO IT} from the "Notes to Self" Planner stamp set on the cover.

On the inside front cover I couldn't help but use the "You can do it" ~coffee stamp found on the new "Coffee Plans" stamp and helped it stand out on the page with a green stamped circle  from the "Pray Journal Repeat" set.

I've kept the inside pretty simple (because I need to make time for exercise, right?). I stamped the doodle square (from "Pray Journal Repeat")7 times on each page and also labeled the squares with the days of the week (from Planner Notes to Self).

Each day I exercise I can stamp a thumbs up (yay me!) from the Everyday Plans set and write in my exercise for the day. I may add a page for my eating habits later, but for now it's one thing at a time!

For this project I used:

Every Day Plans planner stamps | Pray Journal Repeat faith stamps | Coffee Plans planner stamps | Notes to Self planner stamps

Memory Verse Magnetic Holder

Memorizing scripture is important in our home. To keep track of the verses we've memorized this summer, I created a magnetic holder using a small clear box from SRM. It's a perfect size for holding 3x4 cards. It was super easy to create with some scrap paper and SRM's faith stamps and stickers.

For the step-by-step process, check out the video below.

For this project I used:

Child of God Clear Stamps | School Days Planner Stamps | Sticker Stitches Halloween | We've Got Your Border Pastel | Clear Mini Box

Bible Journaling the Lord's Prayer

It's often difficult to know the exact words to pray. In Matthew 6, Jesus gives us some advice.

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray then like this..." Here then Jesus introduces the Lord's Prayer. (Matthew 6:7-15) 

This summer, my daughter and I will be spending some time learning more about the Lord's Prayer and the meanings of the words. The Big Trinity stamp set from SRM is perfect for our summer devotions. We've started with the introduction. "Our Father in Heaven..." With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that will all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father. (explanation from Luther's Small Catechism)

For the background of this page, I used acylic paints and applied them lightly with a sponge. After drying I stamped the words, crosses, border dots, and heart. I used a white pen to highlight the stamps and help them stand out more on my page. 

For this page I used:

BIG Trinity Clear Faith Stamps | I Am Clear Faith Stamps | In Jesus' Name Clear Faith Stamps | White Gel Pen | Black LePen

Personalized Door Sign Kids Craft with Vinyl

This is a super fun craft that's very easy to do and a great craft for these summer days. If you have a craft-loving kid at home, they will enjoy adding their own personal touches to this personalized door sign.

I designed and sized my daughter's name using my electronic cutter and software (Cricut). I then cut her name (and her friend's name, too) out of vinyl (color won't matter - I used basic black) and weeded out the extra.

For the next step, I prepped small 6x6 canvases and then applied the vinyl letters. For best results, make sure the vinyl is really secure to the canvas, especially around the edges. I use a flat spatula or scraping tool.

Next is the fun part for the kids! Set them up with paints (we used acrylics), and let them paint all over the canvas. When they are done painting, carefully remove the vinyl lettering.

If your kiddos still want more, bring out the glitter, sequins, gems, stickers and whatever other crafty bits you can find and let them bling out their door signs. Here is my daughter's finished project.

Add a ribbon to the back and it's ready for hanging.

For this project I used:

SRM Vinyl | 6x6 Canvas | Acrylic paints and various accessories for decorating