October Writing and Journaling Challenge

 

Write out the words of a favorite hymn, or two.

And here is a link to save a free graphic for paper crafting - to be printed on 8.5" X 11" paper.

Free October paper craft images.

FREE Scripture Graphic - Be of Good Cheer

 
Here is another vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic somewhere online. I made some changes or edits, and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) You can use this for your own paper craft, or to print and put where you can see it yourself. :-)

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

FREE Scripture Printable for Thanksgiving - Paper Crafts

I realize this is a little bit late, but I wanted to share these graphics with you for use in paper crafting or card making. They are autumn themed and would be good for Thanksgiving greetings or name place cards or autumn décor or for other greeting cards. These graphics are all made with my original photography and my graphic design.

The sheet of graphics to download from my graphics site is a little smaller than 8x10 inches so that you should be able to print it with a program that offers 8x10 as an option. My program printed it just fine, although I did have to try more than one program to get the coloring to turn out the way I wanted it. You may have to tinker with the settings on yours to get good color.

Download the printable size graphic here.

Click the download icon on the left. It is the arrow pointing down.

Here are a couple examples of cards I made with two of the images. 

The background of this card was stamped with a bubble envelope and a foam leaf sticker. I placed the scripture graphic on a blue background and added a leaf sticker with some gold highlights to give it a little sparkle. 

The photo is crooked, but also, no, my lines are not perfectly straight. Because this is an imperfect world and I don't cut straighter with my paper cutter than I do with scissors in some situations, so I let things be what they are. I learned this quote from a YouTube crafter: "Don't be too hard on yourself." Yup. That is good advice in many situations where perfection isn't likely to happen - from paper crafting to cleaning up the kitchen. ;-) 

This card also has a background made with the bubble envelope (I'll try to put up another post about that soon - I hope.) I used some glitter paper behind the scripture graphic and some leaf stickers. It was really quite simple.

The glitter paper is more red in real life than in the photos. I usually would use it more sparingly as I tend to try to stretch my more expensive stuff, but I've had this awhile and I just decided to go with it. :-)

FREE Vintage Scripture Graphic - 2 Peter 1:2 - Paper Crafts

 

Here is another vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic somewhere online. I made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) This image is 4x6" and 300 DPI.

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. :-)

Enjoy!

FREE Printable - Ginghams Paper Dolls to Print

 

I had The Ginghams paper dolls when I was  girl and I loved them. They were my favorite paper dolls. I think I still have them stashed away somewhere. 

I found these printables of them for free on the internet. Maybe some little girl you know will enjoy them. They would make a cute gift or distraction for a sick or rainy day. :-) The instructions for printing them are at the page.

FREE Vintage Graphic - And A Reminder about International Correspondence Writing Month

Here is another vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic somewhere online. I made some changes and added the message. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) I think you can order prints from my SmugMug page, but know that I do not earn anything from that since I do not have a professional account. Also the sizing may not fit well on a typical sized photo print.

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

I also wanted to put out a reminder that February has been made International Correspondence Writing Month - InCoWiMo. If you're up for a challenge in February, click on over to the post I wrote last year here: Letter Writing Challenge for February. This is a good way to be a blessing to someone this month. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

FREE Vintage Graphic - A New Year Poem

Here is another vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic from The Old Design Shop. I made some changes and added the poem excerpt. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) This could be used for card making or paper crafts, junk journaling, digital projects or other crafts. Use your imagination! :-)

You may also find the altered version without my additional text and download it here.

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

 

FREE Vintage Graphic - 1 Thess. 5:16

Here is another vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic somewhere online. I made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) 

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

FREE Vintage Graphic - Psalm 138:8

Here is another vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic somewhere online. I made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) 

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

FREE Bookmarks To Print - Springtime Photos

Here is another small gift for you, dear readers. :-)

This is a collection of printable bookmarks for you to print and cut apart. These could be used as small gifts in greeting cards or letters, an addition to a gift book, or in a gift basket. Or you can use them for your own enjoyment. They might make a nice addition to a Mother's Day card or something to give someone who is discouraged or sick at present. Please make free use of them, but do not charge for them. These are my own photography and graphic work. 

To get a full sized graphic please go download the image at my storage location. The download icon is on the left. Then print it in full size for an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. For best results you should use white cardstock of a weight you prefer for bookmarks. Ordinary printer paper would not hold up well, unless you laminate it.

If you do not have a color printer, most of these looked pretty good in black and white in the test I printed. You can also order a print of the image from SmugMug which you could then cut apart after you receive it. (I do not receive any money or credit for orders as I do not have a professional account.)

These could also be used as a permanent or removable part of a handmade card. :-)

Enjoy!

Flowers left to right:
Texas paintbrush

Peach blossoms

Red bud blossoms

Our woods in springtime.

FREE Graphic - Lily-of-the-Valley - Peace of God

This is an original photograph of my own and my design work. Please feel free to download it to your computer for use in craft and paper projects. Click here for a higher resolution version of it, then click the download button on the left.

FREE Vintage Graphic - Psalm 139:14 -- for crafting or decor

Hello crafting friends! Here is another vintage graphic for you. The original graphic came from somewhere online. I made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but I don't think it will not be high quality for printing. You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.)

I am trying to pick out verses that are more appropriate for greeting cards now since I realized that some I've done in the past were not all that great for that purposes. :-) 

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

Cheap, Pretty, and Good - Gift Wrapping Ideas

 

Although gift bags are all the fashion these days and are great for reusing, some of us still like wrapped gifts upon occasion. :-) But wrapping paper can be expensive. Here are some ideas for making do or using less expensive methods.

Here are some ideas from "Sister in the Mid-West" at Simple Inspirations:

Cheap and Creative Gift Wrapping Paper

Among a number of good ideas, she shows an example of writing on paper to decorate it for gift warp. The image above is an example of this that I made some years back. I used my colored Sharpie markers to write "I love you!" in different colors on plain white tissue paper. This was for my husband for our anniversary one year. :-) As she points out in her blog post, you can save paper from packages and reuse paper grocery bags for this as well.

You could also make the wrapping part of the gift. 

Here are some suggestions:

Wrap a gift for a sewist or crafter in fabric for her to keep.

Wrap bridal shower gifts or a gift for a home maker in kitchen or tea towels.

Wrap a baby shower gift in a light weight fleece blanket.

Wrap a summer birthday gift in a beach towel.

Wrap a house warming gift in a fleece throw or table cloth.

Wrap a set of bed sheets in one of the pillow cases or an extra pillow case.

Wrap various home gifts in a pillow case.

Wrap a kid's birthday gift in a specialty pillow case.

Wrap books in a lap throw (for cozy reading). :-)

These gifts can be held closed with safety pins, ribbon, or low-tack tape that won't ruin the fabrics.

Repurpose jeans or other trousers to make gift bags too.

I have made gift bags using old jeans. I used ones that had the hem still intact, but you could use trimmed ratty ones as well. If the jeans are worn too much around the bottom edge try cutting off the hem and washing them to give a frayed edge to work with. Do this before cutting off the legs for the bags. The hem end will be the top edge of the bag.

To make the bags I just cut the bottoms of the legs off below the knee at whatever length I wanted. I turned the pant legs wrong side out and then sewed them shut along the cut edge. Be sure to use a stout needle size for this. Also, it may be difficult to get the machine to sew through the thickest side seam on the jeans. To avoid breaking a needle I used the wheel on the side and gently worked it by hand so that the needle went through slowly and firmly. You could also sew these up by hand if you don't have a sewing machine. Add decorations as you like. In the one in the photo I added a ribbon on one side to tie the bag shut and some "yo-yos" just to pretty it up a bit. You could also paint them with fabric paint.

-------

While I was looking for another photo I found this one of that white tissue gift wrap that I wrote on years ago. :-) 

Also, this basket came to me from my mother and she received it as a gift. The lady who gave it to her spray painted it blue, as I recall, to make it fresh. This is another way you can repurpose or re-gift a basket. A little paint can make something look quite new. 

FREE Vintage Scripture Graphic - John 14:27

 

Here is another vintage graphic edited by yours truly. I got the original graphic somewhere online. I made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality. You can get it in higher quality for printing purposes if you go and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.) 

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. 

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

Tiny Watercolor Vignettes Tutorial

Here is a tutorial from Ellen Crimi-Trent for some cute little watercolor vignettes. These are quite easy to do and they would be nice for adding to a greeting card or scrapbook or other paper craft. Use your imagination.

Enjoy! :-)

FREE Printable Graphics - Mother's Day and scripture

Here are some free graphics for your card making or other crafting projects. :-)

This graphic is my own photography and design work. Please click here to download a larger sized image. The download button is on the upper left of the page.

This is a vintage graphic. I do not know where it originally came from. Please click here to download a larger sized image. The download button is on the upper left of the page.

FREE Scripture Coloring Pages to Print

Here are several coloring pages that I have published here on the blog. I thought someone might find them useful during this time when so many are stuck at home for various reasons. Follow the links to find the links to uncolored copies that you may download for free.

Please keep in mind that ink jet printer ink may not be compatible with alcohol based markers, so you should test them before using them on your printed pages to see if they dissolve the black ink or not. If they do, this could damage your pens. Water based pens and colored pencils should be fine.

Free Coloring Page - Stained Glass "Window"

FREE - Scripture Coloring Page - Leaves

FREE Bible Verse Coloring Page for Grown Ups - Romans 8:28 - Crazy Quilt

Free Coloring Page - Bible Verse - 1 John 4:10-11

Free Coloring Page - Bible Verse - 1 John 4:10-11

I was looking at adult coloring books on Amazon awhile back and I noticed how hard it was to find any that had King James Version verses on them. I enjoy various types of graphic designing, so I decided to see what I could come up with myself. (I have published one or two already.) It has been very enjoyable, if a little time consuming in some instances. :-)

This is one of my simpler efforts for you to enjoy. Please click HERE to get to the page where you can download the graphic to your computer. You will then be able to print it as you would other .jpg files. You should also be able to open it in a graphics program and color it in that, if you prefer. The original file as it should download from my Smug Mug account, is an 8x10 graphic and fits on regular printer paper. If you reduce the size it will probably lose part of the border and it will be harder to color as the spaces will be very small.

This one is more of a modern style of graphic. Some may not appreciate it as well, but it was easy to design, and I had a lot of fun as a kid coloring similar designs and young people may enjoy this one as well. Also, don't let the style hinder you. You can add flowers and textures to the spaces and make it your own.  See samples below. :-)

It's important to test your pens on the print before you color it with alcohol based pens. Some inks can be dissolved by the alcohol and may stain/damage your pens. Water based markers should be OK.

This one was done by me with water based markers.

This bottom one was colored by my sister-in-law using colored pencils.

Happy Floral Watercolor Greeting Cards Tutorial

Here is a tutorial for some bright cheerful floral cards from Sandy Allnock. You do not have to use the same greeting stamps that she did. You could use whatever you already have, or you could hand letter them with black pen or ink after you paint them. By the way, the flowers she calls snapdragons look more like celosia (cock's comb) or astilbe to me.

FREE Scripture Graphic - Rest In the Lord

Here is another vintage graphic that I found somewhere online and made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality.  You can get it in higher quality if you go over and download it here. (Use the download button on the left.)

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for your own use. Thank you.

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!