Father’s Day Pocket Card and Nature Photos

I’d like to share a couple of nature photos I’ve taken recently with you, to give your eyes and heart a lovely break as you should read this.

Small service is true service while it lasts:

Of humblest friends, bright creature, scorn not one:

The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,

Protects the lingering dew-drop from the sun

~ William Wordsworth

Acts 3:19

New Century Version (NCV)

¹⁹ So you must change your hearts and lives! Come back to God,

and he will forgive your sins.

Then the Lord will send the time of rest.

 

_____

 

Shhhh… don’t tell my Dad, my Father in Law, that is!  I created a card for him and thought I’d like to share the .studio cut file with YOU!

This is a little busy of a pattern - sort of makes me think “pajamas” but I think that’s good in a way of grabbing one’s attention. 

I designed the cut of the pocket with the holes in place for you to “sew” in some crochet thread if you make it the 3” size which is nice for a quarter sheet fold card.  I cut the ‘top’ of the pocket by hand.  I’ve also included the file for the insert tag with the greeting and then the separate cut for the tag topper. 

Barb Derksen’s POCKET card .studio file (zipped folder)

DOWNLOAD

I like using these little snaps - you can always find them for very little cost at thrift stores and garage sales and they come in handy for masculine cards. 

I will also add another copy of this file to the “PAGES” tab up top - the one that says .studio files.  You will ALWAYS be able to find this file in case you lose it or whatever.  Please don’t share the direct link out, all I ask in way of thanks is to send your friends to this blog to retrieve the file link. 

One thing I’ve begun to include is a PICTURE of the finished project with the actual cutting file.   For example, the pocket cut out file loads like this:

Because you can see what the file should look like. Often I’ve been frustrated with a cutting file because you get a visual of what a file should look like completed when you purchase it in the store, but while working on the actual cutting file you can’t see an image to go by.  So, all you have to do when you go to cut your file is just move the preview jpg off of the matt and there you go! 

note: With the .studio file for the tag and tab - the words HAPPY FATHER’S DAY are for the sketch pen.  You must click on the file, go up to object command top of your silhouette program and choose ungroup from the drop-down menu and then once your file is ungrouped then move the outter “cut” file off to the side of the matt.  Use the sketch pen to draw the sentiment, then hit the undo button to bring the cut file back, then move (or delete) the sentiment part and make your cut.  This becomes “old hat” after you’ve done this a few times.  Be sure to choose NO to the question “Do you want to save changes” to your file when closing it. 

I hope you’ve found this useful!

A Wedding and a Playing In Paradise Card and My “Preserve Posies” Displayed

I apologise my blog has been pretty quiet lately but I’ve been enjoying a lovely visit with my husband’s parents who are with us for three full weeks.  We treasure our time together and the days domino one into the other. 

Mr and Mrs Joseph Fernandes

My Mr. and I attended the wedding of Pastor of our church, Joseph and our dear friend Janice (who I’ve featured on my blog before) this past weekend.  It was held at Walnut Beach Resort here in Osoyoos and even though the days have been off and on … this day was perfect!  Not too hot nor cold which was wonderful being the ceremony took place on the beach of our beautiful lake.  We wish them a wonderful and blessed life together.

♥♥♥

 

My "Preserves Posies” are on display at the Indie Lulu Living shop here on main street in Osoyoos!  My friend Susan made a special feature corner for them and its delightful and an honour to see them front and center!  Exclusive to the shop!

Now I’m working on a project with Father’s Day in mind.

I managed to put together a Playing in Paradise card for this week’s challenge.

Playing in Paradise #67

sketch:

my take:

Designer Paper from Basic Grey. 

Stamps from Studio G

Heart Tags by Barb Derksen

I created this little tag specially for this card.  It measures 2 inches in width, 1/2 inch tall but you can resize it.  You will also wind up with a couple of extra heart cut outs, perfect for accent inside your card    You can download the .studio file by clicking on the photo.  Enjoy!

Idea and file add on:

Ha, after making this tag it gave me a brilliant idea so I followed through with it and will share the idea itself and the resulting cutting file with YOU! 

So you know what the tag looks like from the link above, but looking at it I decided it would make a terrific mini bookmark too!  I simply doubled it by a duplicate mirror and then welded it together.  I only added the extra heart on one side though - gluing it on afterward.

Heart Tab and Heart Bookmarks

(I’ve made a zipped folder with both the tabs and the bookmarks)

click the following link:

DOWNLOAD

 

After cutting your bookmark and hearts out then simply add a bit of magnet to each end.  I did not glue the end flat where the heart is because this way the bookmark can be either left peeking out so you can easily retrieve where you left off or you can also slide it right in snug to the pages so you can store the book away on the bookshelf and still have access later. 

This is an especially useful and frugal way to use up scraps of designer paper. (double sided gives added interest)   I’m going to make “sets” of four at a time.  I think they will prove to be popular.  Also (because I’m the QUEEN of frugal) I cut up old fridge magnets to use.  I mean we all get an over abundance of them with advertising on them.  I put the word around to my friends and they save them for me, glad that someone is recycling them.

Mojo Monday Card 241 and a FREE Hummingbird SVG/PNG/.studio file for YOU!

 

Wishing you a happy Victoria Day on this beeeeautiful May long weekend here in Osoyoos! 

I squeaked in a card this week - thought I would try my hand at this week’s Mojo Monday challenge. 

Mojo Monday 241 sketch:

I thought rather than a flower, because I always seem to use a flower, I dared myself to think up and create something unique for that spot, something which I could give away here on my blog. 

Designer Paper marrakech masala bella by basic grey

Stamp by Studio G using Colorbox ink. 

Ornaments above and below sentiment drawn using my Silhouette SD sketch pens (I’m ♥-in them pens)

I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the pale blue cardstock.

And…

So, rather than a flower, I made this pretty hummingbird cut for my Silhouette SD but I’ve also saved it for YOU in SVG, PNG and also .studio so you can use it too!  I did cut a hole for the eye but you can fill it in if you like.  If you’re using it for a card, as I’ve done, it can be a very tiny opening as you want the eye to be tiny and delicate - I placed a bit of foam tape behind the opening and it looks perfect.  The one on my card measures about 2 inches at the tallest place.

You can download the files by clicking the following link:

BARB DERKSEN’S HUMMINGBIRD

personal use

I will also place this sweet little hummer into the PAGES tab (top of this blog) under the categories of PNG and also .studio so they are always available. 

(though you can ask for commercial)

My greeting cards are available at both Indie Lulu Living and Feathered Frog - both Main Street Osoyoos!  Pop in either shop if you’re out enjoying the festivities this weekend, both shops are great places to “graze” your eyes! 

Our Beautiful Desert and a FREE Wild Rose Cut and PNG file for YOU!

 

Its so beautiful out this time of the year here - everything so lush!  This is antelope brush in bloom.  I wish I could send smell through this blog, with this and the sagebrush and lilacs in blossom its a banquet for all the senses. 

 

 

This is one of the critters which you might find at the Desert Center locally.  I love to take my camera  with me whenever my Mr & I go for a walk and to me that’s 90% of being a “good photographer” - thing is you can’t take that amazing shot if you don’t have the camera along, right?  This beetle is too funny, when it feels threatened it sticks its butt up in the air and I think I’ve heard it “hiss”  As it was early evening when we saw this ferocious insect it looked twice as scary to itself because the sun behind made it cast an extra long shadow. 

Well, since I had such a warm fuzzy greeting to my first post in a long time to the Silhouette forum I vowed I would make a cut for giveaway so I’ve done just this.  Here’s a card I made using my cut.  I created this card for a friend for her Mother in Law to be:

 

I made this Wild Rose cut for YOU - I’ve saved it every which way.  I saved it as a full SVG, then PNG’s and finally .studio files for your Silhouette SD  or Cameo.  I split the flower and leaves up for a few files and I even made a simple outline for them too so you can use the outline like I did and then cut your designer paper to be a “filler” for each. 

 

I did not include this round part or scallop because the circle is easy to make, the scallop came from the Silhouette SD store.  I typed the greeting in my Studio software and then had my machine sketch it using the pens in a pretty orange to co-ordinate with the other elements on this card.

So you can download the zipped folder for the Wild Rose Cuts etc by clicking the following link.  These are for your personal use.  I am pretty generous to give permission for you to use these files for commercial use though you must email me and make your request and also credit me.

DOWNLOAD WILD ROSE by Barb Derksen

And of course I’d ♥ to see how you use my files - just email me and I’ll feature your creation here. 

I’ll leave you with a few comical photos -

My girl assures me she DOES have a perfectly wonderful water dish for her kitty but…

Ewwww - *smirk*

Eating next to a 3 year old is interesting.  His jelly snack went plup! into the ketchup and got eaten with gusto.  Hmmm.

I’ll leave you with this poem I came across which might be wonderful for a birthday card sentiment.

AGE

Let me grow lovely, growing old -

So many fine things do;

Laces and ivory, and gold,

And silks need not be new;

And there is healing in old trees,

Old streets a glamour hold;

Why may not I, as well as these,

Grow lovely, growing old?

- Karle Wilson Baker

 

Sweet “Preserves” Card and the FREE Cutting and Sketching file for YOU!

Its about time I made something for YOU!  If you have an opportunity to read back over my previous post you will see I created a set of “Preserve Posies” - matching flowers and labels which dress up canning and jam jars.  I needed to provide instructions on how they assemble so I “drew” the jars and flowers in a graphics program. 

I figured since I’ve done all this work I might as well make it multi-purpose so I turned it into an SVG format as well as png and brought it into my Silhouette Studio software and did some tweaking and created the files which you can use to make the jar like on this darling card:

You cannot really tell here but the lid background is a shimmery copper color and looks very attractive.  I’ve included the outline (black part), the “jam” part, the lid and then I added the SWEET word art - I actually included that right in with the “jam” - so you can ungroup them if you wish and hide the outside cut while you have your Silhouette “sketch” the wording.  I then took a blue shimmery pen which matches the background paper and filled it in with color. 

So I hope you enjoy the cutting files and png’s (great for “digital stamps”) for your projects.   These are for your personal use.  If you would like to use them for commercial projects you need to email me for permission.  Please don’t share out my files directly but have your friends come here to download them via this post.  Just click the following link to grab the zipped folder:  Barb Derksen’s Mason Jar Cut File

And before I forget - I would ♥ to see what you make using my files?  Why not leave me a comment when you do and I’ll feature your project here. 

May May Bring Mushrooms?

 

Equation for Spring:

May + Moist + Mulch = Moss + MUSHROOMS! 

Moss and Mulch

Shaggy Manes

a MIGHTY Morel!

If you’ve not experienced these “wild” mushrooms before you’re truly missing out.  I remember thinking how gross they were when I was a child - my father was an avid mushroom hunter at the first signs in spring and fall, bringing home great feeds.  I recall him making pancakes of the big Shaggy Manes.  I also recall equating the look of morels as to brains… uh, I think this may have had some influence on my immature tastebuds. 

I found these specimens just yesterday and now I know where they reside I hope to have a great feast of them in the coming days.  Even better with asparagus growing roadside.  I sauté both together for a delectable dish.  

I recently came across a local Okanagan Food magazine which funny enough just featured an entire article on Morel mushrooms - this is a galluptious editorial and I’m thinking of subscribing after my sneak peek inside - check it out SAVOUR magazine.

I’ve been creating some new products for the newest coolest shop in Osoyoos BC, Indie Lulu Living.  With Mother’s Day coming fast I wanted to be able to bring something completely unique.  This is what I came up with:

I’m calling these Preserves Posies!

Living in the heart of the Okanagan Valley - in other words the heart of the finest fruit and produce in British Columbia makes this area huge for people to make gifts of their favourite preserves.  Oh yes, we’ve all done the fabric and ribbon decorating of jars however I wanted to find a new way to bring an elegant touch to your gourmet giving. 

Each package contains one jar topper and a matching label.  Your preserves will be the hit of the party!

I had to create new, tweak or modify some of my Silhouette Studio files for these custom items.  ♥ my Silhouette SD - aspiring to the Cameo one day in the future.

I’ve also included instructions in case you would like to give the gift of the Preserve Posie along with your own preserves!  A nice feature is the flower disc for the top is able to be used over and over again. 

As you can see, this product is manufactured exclusively for Indie Lulu Living, Osoyoos. 

I’ve a nice selection of handmade Mother’s Day Cards for you at both Indie Lulu Living and the Feathered Frog Soap Shop - come grab one before they are gone!

Thanks for visiting here and I’ll leave  you with some encouraging thoughts for your day:

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the horizon of the spirit.  Helen Keller

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.  Harriet Beecher Stowe

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.  Anais Nin

In our life there is a single color, as on an artist’s palette, which provides the meaning of life and art.  It is the color of love.  Marc Chagall

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.  Thomas A. Edison

If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.  Edith Wharton