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The Best Things In Life Aren't Things, by Gretchen Barron

May 09, 2014

The Best Things in Life Aren't Things!

I'm so happy that the Feel Goods and Swallowtail stamp sets ARE NOT retiring and will be avilable in the new 2014-2015 Idea Book & Catalog! My absolute favorite way to use this big, beautiful butterfly stamp is to cut it apart and put it back together so it looks like the butterfly is gently sitting on a flower, soaking up the sun and nectar!


It's so EASY to do -- just stamp one wing of the butterfly (either right or left) twice, color it in and then layer it with Stampin' Dimensionals (I stacked up 3 dimensionals to really give the wings some separation). I also cut the body off the butterfly and repositioned it so it looked more natural with the uplifted wings. I drew in the antennae with a black Stampin' Write Marker.


My butterfly didn't land on a flower today but rather, an old fashioned Tea Lace Doily. And the sentiment from the Feel Goods stamp set seemed perfect!


And, can you see the bling on this butterfly! In addition to the Basic Rhinestone head, it's wings are embellished with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and let me tell you, they SPARKLE in real life!


Other supplies and tools used include Pool Party and Pear Pizzazz cardstock, Coastal Cabana Blendabilities (available to order with the new catalog on June 2nd), 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, the 2.5" Circle Punch and Basic Rhinestones! A complete list of supplies can be found below. Just click on any thumbnail to go directly to my online store and place an order so that you can recreate this card for yourself.

Gretchen Barron

Swallowtail Clear-Mount Stamp

$13.95

Feel Goods Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$18.95

Tea Lace Paper Doilies

$2.95

2-1/2 Inch Circle Punch

$16.95

Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents

$4.95

2-Way Glue Pen

$4.50

Dazzling Diamonds

Glitter

Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker

$3.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

$3.95

Pool Party 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock

$6.95

Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$6.95

Science Projects on the Jimmy Falon Show, with Kevin Delaney

Jimmy Falon with Kevin Delaney

GORGEOUS Mother's Day Card by Cindee Wilkinson

Here is the second Club Card that we will be doing next week.

 I really love the sentiment on this card. Its from the April My Paper Pumpkin. Never heard of My Paper Pumpkin? Its a kit that gets delivered right to your door every month around the 15th. You can check out My Paper Pumpkin HERE!

Now about the card......I started with a Gumball Green card base, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", then embossed on Whisper White, cut at 4" x 5 1/4". Stamp the flower from Regarding Dahlias several times with Versamark ink, emboss with White embossing powder. Then using your sponge daubers, color the center with Daffodil Delight, Strawberry Slush, then Gumball green all around the flower. Use a tissue or paper towel and take off the excess ink.

The Gumball Green and Strawberry Slush are the retiring In Colors. Hard to see them go......but wait until you see the NEW IN COLORS! So pretty, very fallish. Is that even a word? Well, they remind me of fall.

Here are the supplies for the card:

Regarding Dahlias

$14.95

Gumball Green Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Primrose Petals Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Versamark Pad

$7.50

Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$8.50

Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon

$8.95

White Stampin' Emboss Powder

$4.75

Basic Pearls Jewel Accents

$4.95

Banners Framelits Dies

$26.95

Northern Lights Tutorial by Melissa Banbury

Porch Swing Creations

Creating Fog Effect On Greeting Card - A Tutorial by Melissa Banbury

Porch Swing Creations

Threading - To Remove Facial Hair

Darsh





Natasha Pursell

Ben Breedlove's Story of Dying and Going to Heaven - 25 December 2011

25 December 2011




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmlTHfVaU9o







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4LSEXsvRAI

• Ben Breedlove, of Austin, Texas, died on Christmas Day 2011 at age of 18
• The teenage boy posted a video on YouTube about his near-death experiences - it has now been watched by 12 million people
• Parents Deanne and Shawn Breedlove only discovered videos after he died
• His sister Ally has since written a book about her brother's inspiring story

The parents of a teenage boy whose YouTube videos about his near-death experiences inspired and comforted millions of people have revealed that watching him felt like he was still alive and sending a message straight to them. 

Ben Breedlove, 18, of Austin, Texas, passed away on Christmas Day, 2011 of a heart attack after cheating death three times from his lifelong condition of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a disease which makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood properly.

Following his death, his grieving family were told that Ben had posted a YouTube video just days before about his visions. The video has touched people around the world with YouTube reporting this week that Ben's work has had 12 million views.
His father Shawn Breedlove told CBS: 'As we watched that video our son was smiling, he was alive, almost like he was giving us a message.'

Ben Breedlove posted a video on YouTube days before his death from a heart attack where he described the peaceful place he had been to. His video has now been viewed 12 million times and brought comfort to people around the world

His parents Deanne and Shawn Breedlove have said they were ‘amazed’ at the depth of their son's thoughts. 

They explained that from his first near-death experience in hospital at the age of four, Ben had caught a glimpse of something almost unexplainable.
Mrs Breedlove told the TV show: 'We were being wheeled down a hallway and he commented that there was a ''pitch white light above him.'''

Ben's father added: 'It was significant because the hallway we were being wheeled down had no lights on in it.'  His mother said: 'He said he was in a white room and the peace was more than he could explain.'

The teen captured the world's attention in a series of videos in which he offered relationship advice,  talked about his health and his near-death experiences. 
His experiences left him convinced of the existence of God and life after death. He had a near death experience when he was four, fourteen and in December 2012.
On Christmas Day two years ago, Ben tragically passed away at the age of 18 while he played with his younger brother on the family's backyard trampoline.

His mother told CBS: 'All the medical things went on for a quite a while in the backyard and in the ambulance and that whole time I just wondered where Ben really was - if he was still here in his body or if had gone to where he couldn't wait to go.'
His sister Ally who has written a book about her brother's story said that she has only been able to bring herself to watch Ben's video a few times.
She added: 'The only reason I'm able to cope with missing him every day is because I believe now that he's more alive than he's ever been.'

In his final video, Ben talks about the bright light that brought him peace the first time around and the time he was wearing a suit and standing in a white room with his favourite rapper Kid Cudi.

Of this experience, he wrote: 'I then looked in the mirror, I was proud of myself of my entire life, everything I have done. It was the BEST feeling.'

The rapper posted this message on his blog after hearing of the death: 'I am so sad about Ben Breedlove. I watched the video he left for the world to see.

'Him seeing me in detail, in his vision, really warmed my heart. I broke down... To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s definitely mine. You have my love.'
Talking about the white light he saw in hospital when he was four, Ben wrote: 'I couldn't take my eyes off it, and I couldn't help but smile. I had no worries at all, like nothing else in the world mattered.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2480499/Ben-Breedloves-parents-remember-days-YouTube-video.html#ixzz301Pf9aJl

Read more:

• YouTube teen star's touching last days
• When Will the Heaven Begin?: This Is Ben Breedlove's Story: Ally Breedlove, Ken Abraham: 9780451239648: Amazon.com: Books

A Texas teenager who said he cheated death three times despite a dangerous heart condition died Christmas night from a heart attack, but not before posting a two-part video on YouTube telling his story and describing a series of powerful visions. 

In the videos that have since gone viral, 18-year-old Ben Breedlove of Austin can be seen silently sitting in a room and using handwritten note cards to tell his story. The teen suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which one part of the heart is thicker than the other parts, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood. 

He described cheating death three times.

The most recent scare was Dec. 6, when he passed out at school and awoke surrounded by EMS medics preparing to use shock pads to revive him. 

He posted a two-part video Dec. 18 titled "This is my story." One week later, on Christmas night, he suffered a heart attack and died. As of this afternoon, the first video had been viewed online more than 476,000 times. 

"It was obvious to all of us that knew him that he knew what he was doing when he made that video," close family-friend Pam Kohler said. "There are times that [the family is] overwhelmed by the pain and the loss of Ben, but then it's replaced with knowing that he was at peace with what was going to happen." 

Kohler said Breedlove loved coming to her house in the country where he taught her how to make and post YouTube videos for her husband's business and loved going hunting with him. 

He had two popular YouTube channels, "BreedloveTV" and "OurAdvice4You," on which he would talk about his own life as well as dishing out relationship advice for his peers. Facebook and YouTube have been inundated with tributes to Breedlove. 

"When you think of Ben, you can't help but smile," Kohler said. "He was curious, creative. You never knew what he was up to. He was always full of surprises. We look on all of it as a gift from God through Ben." 

Kohler and her husband, Mark Kohler, were driving to the Breedlove home Christmas when they first realized something might be wrong. 

"We were going over to share Christmas dinner with them that night and on our way over there, a police car passed us with sirens on," Kohler said. "My husband said, 'Start praying because it could be Ben.'" When they arrived at the house, they saw ambulances and fire trucks. Breedlove had had a heart attack and medics were trying to revive him. He made it to the hospital, but died there. 

At this point, Kohler said the family did not know about Breedlove's last videos. He had shared his visions with his sister, but no one had seen the videos. 

He said in the video, through note cards, that the first time he cheated death was when he was 4 and described an experience he had in the hospital as he was being wheeled on a stretcher. 

"There was this big bright light above me ... I couldn't make out what is was because it was so bright. I told my mom, 'Look at the bright light' and pointed up. She said she didn't see anything," Breedlove wrote. "There were no lights on in this hall. I couldn't take my eyes off it. And I couldn't help but smile. I had no worries at all, like nothing else in the world mattered." 

As Breedlove held up each card telling the story, he alternated serious looks with broad smiles. "I cannot even begin to describe the peace, how peaceful it was," he wrote. "I will NEVER forget that feeling or that day. 

"Because of the experiences he'd had, he was ready and he was prepared. He really wanted to know that peace again. He was facing more hospital stays and he was tired of it," Kohler said. "He wanted [his family] to know that he wasn't scared and was looking forward to returning to that place."

In the videos, Breedlove went through the details of his journey. 

He underwent surgery May 3, 2009, to insert a pacemaker and the second time Breedlove cheated death, he said, was in the summer of 2011. He went to the hospital for tonsil surgery and ended up going into cardiac arrest. 

"It was a miracle that they brought me back," Breedlove wrote. "I was scared to die, but am SO glad I didn't." 

His third brush with death was the one earlier this month. "I really thought to myself, this is it. I'm dying," Breedlove wrote. 

He recalled a dream or vision where he was in a silent, white room with no walls and he felt "that same peaceful feeling I had when I was 4." 

"I was wearing a really nice suit and, so was my fav rapper, Kid Cudi," Breedlove wrote.

He said he thought to himself, "Damn, we look good." 

"I then looked at myself in the mirror, I was proud of MYSELF, of my entire life, everything I have done," Breedlove wrote. "It was the BEST feeling." 

He said he thought of lyrics from a Kid Cudi song that said, "When will the fantasy end, when will the heaven begin?" Kid Cudi sat him down at a glass desk and told him, "Go now." 

"I didn't want to leave that place," Breedlove wrote. "I wish I NEVER woke up." 

Kid Cudi responded to the videos on his website, writing that he "broke down" when he saw the video. 

"This has really touched my heart in a way I can't describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much," Kid Cudi wrote. "We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me."

Cudi added, "To Ben's family, you raised a real hero, he's definitely mine. You have my love."

Breedlove's funeral is scheduled to take place Thursday afternoon in Austin. 

"The one thing he wanted was for everyone to feel joy for him because he knew where he would be and where he wanted to be," Kohler said. "The tears come and they're followed by a smile." 

Kohler said Breedlove would be thrilled that his video and story have already touched so many. She said he would have "wanted his generation to know the love of God and the peace he was feeling."

"Do you believe in angels or God?" Breedlove asked on a card at the end of the video. The last card read simply, "I do." 

Curled Paper Wreath

Business Card Candy Holder

Stamp Academy Blog

Making Babushka Doll Cards - by Stamping T

This week the challenge for the Late Night Stampers Group is all about ‘Fun Fancy Folds’ for your cards.  I love trying out new and interesting folding techniques for cards but was having difficulty finding something to share for the challenge that I hadn’t already done and really was in the mood to create something I hadn’t done before.  So I will spare you the story of how I eventually ended up making these Babushka Doll fold out cards … let’s just say I was looking for some Christmas inspiration on line and this is were my head ended up!  Anyway, here is the first little set of girls made using Bermuda Bay cardstock ….

This is my Pistachio Pudding set of girls …. on reflection a very ‘daze’ look with my punch art eyes LOL! Need to rethink that!

Finally some sweet Blushing Bride girls with the Regarding Dahlias Stamp set for decoration.

I do have this template for sale on my blog on the ‘Tutorials‘ page if you are interested and I have a video for you on some tips for how you might put these lovely girls together for you here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOQtfUvfzYM


 






Another template with 5 dolls... 

Braided Card - by Brandy Cox

Brandy's Blog

Check out Brandy's Videos

Punched Strawberries

♥

Over thirty years ago I made some little stuffed strawberry Christmas tree ornaments for my mom. After Christmas, she tied them in a bunch and hung them in her kitchen, thus beginning the strawberry collection in her kitchen that rivals my own collection of turtles.

When I saw this Doodlebug paper at the scrapbook store a couple of weeks ago, I just had to have it. Along side of it in the store was a cute little embellishment that I initially picked up, then put back on its hook thinking, "Hmph...I could make that." And I did.

I used a heart-shaped punch for the berry, and then I used my 1/2" corner rounder to soften the point at the bottom. A flower punch served as the leaves, and some white-puffy-paint became seeds.

I used these little berries as embellishments on cards - one for my mom and one for Grandma.

♥

 http://paperturtle.blogspot.com/2012/01/strawberry-fields-forever.html

 

Working With Metal Sheets In Crafts

Oval Punch Tutorial by Nicole Tugral

TUTORIAL: Oval Punch Bow

I had a HUGE response about my paper bows that I posted Sunday.  Thank you for all the wonderful comments and interest.  So, here is a tutorial for you!  I made a large bow and put it on a large binder clip.  Here's a look.

 I made a step by step picture tutorial.  I have not ventured into videos yet, I have three little ones in the house so it's not very quiet here!

SUPPLIES:

Extra Large Oval Punch

Large Oval Punch

Hexagon Punch OR...
Square Punch

1/2" circle punch

3/4" circle punch

Designer Series Paper, I used Afternoon Picnic

Sticky Strip

Large Binder Clip

Large Pearl

 TIP: I used sticky strip for a firmer hold.  The glue dots work, but I found that the bow components moved around.  I do not have that problem when using sticky strip.  It's not as convenient as the glue dots, but a much better hold.

DO NOT FLATTEN your ovals as you bend them in half to adhere the ends.  You want a rounded bow, not a flat one.

 For this step, I need to clarify that the sticky strip is added to the back of the DSP down each side.

 This last picture shows the smaller bow that is made with the Large Oval Punch and the Small Oval Punch.  It is hard to tell how big the clip and bow from the tutorial are without a smaller clip next to it.

You can view Nicole's Blog by clicking HERE