Cards by Traci and What Scripture says about "Friends"

Hi Friends~

Today I want to share a bit about "Friends."  And, I am going to show a few cards I have made over the weekend.  Do you send cards to friends?  Do you take time choosing a card with the perfect words?  Or do you go for the picture?  Do you make the cards?  I have joined the stamping world about 14 months ago.

I apologize for not posting yesterday. (Monday) I had a morning doctor's appointment that lasted quite a long time, and when I came home, I was so exhausted I slept into the night!

I have made such good friends here at the He IS Able blog.  I was thrilled when Michele and Joan said they would join the team, and let us have more depth in the blog.  We became friends through a prayer thread, and they have become such good friends to me. They are so caring and trustworthy.  Am I as good of a friend to them?  I can only hope so.  Let's look at some Scripture about Friends:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:34

"A friend loveth at all times."  Proverbs 17:17

I made this card for a dear friend of mine.  She and I became friends at Christian Paper Crafts.  We have come to be good friends very quickly.  It is as if we had known each other for a very long time.  She is both forgiving and patient...and much more!

On this card I used a Close To My Heart stamp that reads:"God loves you and so do I."  I cut about an inch off the front of the card, and put a piece of lace there.  I used a piece of SU! pink paper as the base of the card, and I cut a tiny strip of it to put over the section where the lace is attached to the card.  Then, I put 6 pink little gems on top of that!  The Butterfly stamp is from Rubber Stampede.  I used Marvy markers on it, along with pink Stickles.

On the inside of the card, I used a strip of paper left over from the front.  It is from DCWV-- "Sweet Stack."  This particular friend of mine loves lace and bows, so I added 3 little satin bows onto the strip of paper on the inside.  I really like how this card came out.  I made one mistake, however....it can't stand up!!!  The front being shorter than the back makes it just lay down!  lol  I hope she will enjoy it anyway.  She is a treasure in my life.

Ecclesiastes 4:8-10 reads: 

     "Two are better than one,

                          Because they have a good reward for their labor. 

 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

  But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

 For he has no one to help him up."

I made this card for my niece, Emilie.  Her birthday is this week. 

 Happy Birthday, Em! 

I love this girl on the card.  The flowers are so big and bold.  I used copics on the pink on this card.  I tried giving her lighter hair first, I attempted to give her highlights-- like all of those tutorials show...it just didn't come together for me...SO....I chose to make her a brunette! lol  I used SU! Blush Blossom and Regal Rose to color her face.  I kept adding the shadow under her hair line...I kept going over and over it, trying to get it smooth looking! She ended up with a really great tan!  lol  The background paper is from Hot off the Press- "Use 'Em For Anything-Citrus Pack."  And, the ribbon is Offray.  That delicious looking cake with the cup cake on top is part of a DCWV page from their "Sweet Stack" selection. (Wonderful paper for birthdays and celebrations. (I used every bit of that page up!) 

 "The Perfect Day"...remember when you were a child your birthday meant EVERYTHING to you!  It was supposed to be THE Perfect Day.  You would invite your friends over and have so much fun!  Good times we can still have!  Well, I have a whole drawer of chipboard, and I decided to start to use it! lol  I don't know why I have been apprehensive to use it.

Take a look at that shade of super shimmery mint green Creative Inspirations Paint behind the scene!  I loved using it. I received some of their paints as a gift from a wonderful friend!  She is so generous and fun..plus she is very talented!  I put a layer of the paint on...and I didn't think it looked that shimmery when it was wet.  So, being me, and it being only my 2nd time using it, I put another layer of "mint" on and went to do something.  I came back about 10 minutes later, and the sun was glaring off of the green C.I. Paint!  I love it. It took me about 10 photo shots to come up with 1 that wasn't blinding!  Thank you, GF!

"A real friend sticks closer than a brother."  Proverbs 18:24

Here is a quote from John Lyly, "A friend is solace in grief and in joy a merry companion.

This is the last card for today.  I started it last fall.  I put the 2 different papers together, and tied the sheer ribbon.  (I wouldn't call it a bow, though!)  I took my leaf stamp from Judith's Stamps, and inked it on the front, back and I made a border of it on the inside.  Then I was stuck.  I didn't know where I was going to go next with the card, so I put it in a pile.  I took it out around December, and looked at it again...no luck---still stuck.  I didn't want to throw it out.  I really liked the papers together.  My husband, Dave loves the outdoors, so I knew that was the direction I wanted to go in.  Finally, this week...I was going through that pile, and there was the card!  It just so happened that the cardinal from Our Daily Bread Designs was resting just on top of it!  I had colored it with my water color pencils.  I liked how they looked together...I attached the ODBD Cardinal from the "Sing for Joy" stamp set, and the card is finished!  Dave and I love to watch the birds....especially the many "couples" of cardinals in our yard.  I'll send this to him at work as a little surprise.

So, what qualities do you look for in a friend?  Trustworthy?  Fun?  Shopping-Pal?  Honest?  Talkative?  Loyal? Christian?  Patient? How about writing one of the characteristics you look for in a friend in the comment section?  Or a Scripture about Friendship?  It is a great way to share, and it makes you eligible to win the "Card of the Week" which will be announced tomorrow!
He IS Able,
Traci S.