I originally started designing this card last week for submission into a contest for a card using three colors, three stamps, and a photograph for bonus points. I photographed this deer a few weeks ago at the zoo when the lighting and his beauty caught my eye. But my ideas for incorporating the stamps were not working out.

Instead I decided to try this two tone Cuttlebug technique. I applied Tim Holtz Vintage Photo distress ink to the front of the snowflake folder and carefully inserted white paper then ran it through the Cuttlebug. I did the same thing for the hearts folder. I trimmed some rows of hearts and heat embossed the white hearts with a clear embossing powder. Then I applied a white pigment stamp pad very liberally to the front of the twigs folder and very quickly ran a paper bag colored paper through the Cuttlebug while the ink was still very wet.

For the deer photo I first converted it to Sepia in Photoshop by selecting Image/Adjustments/Photo Filter/Sepia. Then I converted it to a sketch in Photoshop by selecting Filter/Sketch/Photo Copy. You will have to adjust the settings to achieve the desired level of detail. I set detail to about 8 and darkness to about 5. The higher the darkness number the darker your lines.

I created the bible verse by using the eyedropper tool to select the darkest area in my now “drawing” and applying it to the text. I printed several variations of the text with a few of the deer images from Adobe InDesign in order to save paper and allow me to try variations. Then I cut and embossed them with Nestabilities long classic scalloped rectangle.

I really am pleased with how the design in the end was “peaceful” and matched the feeling I felt when the deer caught my eye. The snow makes it a seasonal card but with the hearts and the verse it also carries an underlying theme to not let our heart grow cold. Charles Spurgeon writes about the craving for our Lord as a sign of growth.

When a man pants after God, it is a secret life within which makes him do it: he would not long after God by nature. No man thirsts for God while he is left in his carnal (i.e., unconverted) state. The unrenewed man pants after anything sooner than God:…It proves a renewed nature when you long after God; it is a work of grace in your soul, and you may be thankful for it.

I really enjoy making cards with a spiritual theme and amazingly have found that the creative process does surprisingly quench my thirst!

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