Unreached Nations- Week 8- Ukraine

 This week's card is not only a bit early, but also not inspired by an unreached nation. But with Ukraine being in the news like it is right now, I figured that this amazing country could use all the extra prayers it can get so I made a card inspired by Ukraine. The second largest country in Europe is home to nearly 45 million people who are now living in fear as Russia invades their homeland. 67% of the population of Ukraine is Christian so this is definitely not an unreached nation...but still one in desperate prayer right now so please, don't forget them when you go before God in prayer.

This week's card is inspired by this fun fact about Ukraine: 

Sunflower is a strategically important oilseed crop in Ukraine, which plays a key role in the agricultural sector and accounts for 70 percent of all oilseed crops grown. In terms of world sunflower seed production, Ukraine holds first place at 25 percent, followed by Russia (22%) and Argentina (9%).

Unreached Nations- Week 7- Eritrea

 I'm back! Illness and a crazy schedule has kept me away but I'm back. 

This week's Unreached Nation is Eritrea. It is a small nation on the Eastern side of Africa, bordering the Red Sea. While Christianity is not forbidden there, only certain denominations are allowed- such as Catholicism, Orthodox, and Lutheran- all others are severely persecuted with unjust prison sentences, surveillance, and forced military service. 

This small nation fought for it's independence for 30 years and during that fight, nearly 25% of their military forces were made up of women. Children born to fighting women during that time are known as "Red Flowers." And this fact is what inspired today's card. 

I chose to use a poppy on this card because in The United States, the red poppy is a symbol of sacrifice and is often used to honor veterans of war. 

Go here to learn more about this nation and it's people. And please remember to pray for the persecuted. Open Doors Eritrea

Unreached Nations- Week 6- Pakistan

 This week we travel to the Middle Eastern nation of Pakistan. 

All Christians face severe persecution in Pakistan but those who have converted from Islam are most at risk for being tortured to "encourage" them to turn back to Islam or death if they refuse. All Christians are thought of and treated as second class citizens and made to do the jobs that others feel are beneath them. It's very hard for Christians to get ahead or get 'respectable' jobs. In a population of about 208,000,000 people, only about 4,000,000 are Christians. While that might seem like a lot of Christians, that's roughly only about .020% of the population. One fifth of one percent. 

Church buildings- generally located in someone's home because official Christian churches are illegal- are often attacked, burned, and worshipers arrested when discovered to discourage believers from gathering. 

This card was inspired by this fun fact:

Pakistan has the only fertile desert in the world – the Tharparkar desert – located in Sindh province.

Please pray with me for the people of Pakistan:

• Pray for courage for Christians in Pakistan to speak about their faith, despite their fears that their words may be used against them. Pray for wisdom for them, and that God will give them the right words to say.
• Pray for protection over Pakistan’s churches, especially around holidays such as Christmas and Easter, when terrorist attacks have happened in the past.
• Pray for protection for young Christian women and girls. Pray for those who have already been abducted and forced to convert and marry, that God will comfort them and give them strength. Pray they will know His love, even in their terrible circumstances.

Open Doors- Pakistan

Unreached Nations- Week 5- Libya

    This week's unreached nation is Libya and in spite of it's rich Christian history, Christians today face intense persecution and even death. The majority of Christians in the nation are not Libyans but are foreign nationals and migrant workers. It is illegal for them to share their faith publicly and they face death for doing so. 

This week's fun fact that inspired the following card is this: 

Bette Peak is the highest mountain in Libya being 7,434 feet tall. Also known as Bikku Bitti, the mountain is found in southern Libya at the Chad-Libyan border. The first documented climb of the Bette Peak was by Ginge Fullen alongside his Chadian guides in December 2005. Nonetheless, the mountain’s location makes access to it difficult and rare.

Please, join me in praying for the people of Libya. 

• Pray for Libyan believers who are under immense pressure, particularly those who are arrested because of their faith. Pray for protection and release.
• Pray for those in power in Libya. Pray for peace and stability, and for an end to the proxy civil war. Years of anarchy and power struggles have taken many lives and eroded hope for the future, and Christians and other minorities have become very vulnerable in such a situation of lawlessness.
• Pray for new converts who have been baptized. Pray that they will find a group of believers to join – and rejoice that they have found Jesus.

Open Doors- Libya

Unreached Nations- Week 4- Somalia

This week's card is inspired by the African nation of Somalia. Being a Christian in Somalia is EXTREMELY dangerous and suspected believers are often killed on the spot. Women converts are treated terribly and either killed or forcibly married to a Muslim man so that he can convert her back to Islam. It is a sad existence being forced to believe something with no choices to explore other ideas or paths. We, in America, are very fortunate that we can pursue and worship God without conflict. Yes, sometimes we're made fun of for our beliefs but we don't face the threat of torture and death simply for believing the way we do. 

Please, please keep the people of Somalia in your prayers this week. Here are some specific things you can pray for: 

Pray for Somalia

• Pray for the families of those who have been murdered for their faith, that they would receive the comfort of their Heavenly Father and be healed from bitterness.
• Pray for a strong church to grow among Somali people, relying on Jesus and with a hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God.
• Pray for those who are responsible for the killings of Christians to be convicted with the fear of the Lord.

The "fun" fact from Somalia that inspired this week's card is this: Somalia ranks 2nd in the world for the most number of active modern day pirates. 

Open Doors- Somalia

Unreached Nations- Week 3- Afghanistan

 I'm sorry I missed last week, I had unexpected company from out of town. So I'm back with week 3- A country that's been in the news a lot lately, a nation that many have been praying for, as I know I have. Afghanistan. 

Religious persecution in Afghanistan is extreme. 99.7% of the population is Muslim. Expressions of a different faith are deadly and Christians there must hide and remain silent about their beliefs. It is not uncommon for family members to turn in their own family members who've converted from Islam to Christianity. It is not uncommon to see honor killings because a family member has turned to Christ. It's very dangerous to be a Christian in Afghanistan. Please pray for the people, the government, the persecutors...they ALL need Jesus so desperately. 

This week's card is based on this fun fact- which isn't really fun, more sad and tragic
:  

Since 2001, Afghanistan has been consistently one of the top producers of opium. In addition, 90% of opium worldwide came from Afghanistan. As of 2017, opium production has provided 400,000 jobs in the country. According to a report, the production of opium increased by 63%, from 2016 to 2017.

Please remember to keep the people of Afghanistan in your prayers. The women and children and Christians, most especially. 

Open Doors- Afghanistan

Unreached Nations- Week 2- Iran

 This week's card is inspired by the Middle Eastern Nation of Iran. Religious persecution there is severe and Christians there fear for their lives. Believers meet together in secret locations- underground churches- to pray and worship even though secret churches are often raided and leaders are imprisoned- or worse- for years. 

Please, pray for the Christians in Iran and pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit would lead to a spiritual awakening in Iran. That Christians will continue to be bold in their faith...no matter the consequences, and, like Paul, those doing the persecuting will find Jesus and turn their lives over to Him. 

Fun Fact:

Iranians LOVE tea. Tea is served black without sugar at all gatherings and most Iranians have tea after each meal. Here is the card that was inspired by this fun fact:

Here is a link to some more information about religion and persecution in Iran. Please, pray for the people there. 

• *Pray for believers in isolation. Many Christians don’t dare to share their faith with anyone around them, or don’t know any other believers. They depend on online resources to learn more about God.
• *Pray for Christians who are currently locked up in prison for their faith. The conditions in Iran’s prisons are very poor and the pandemic has only made the situation worse.
• *Pray for those who advocate for the rights of Christians in Iran, both within and outside the country, that they would be listened to and that God would protect them.

Open Doors Iran

Unreached Nations Card Series- Week 1- North Korea

 One of my crafty friends does this wonderful card challenge each week where she chooses a different country and creates a card using inspiration from some fun fact about that country. 

I've decided to do something similar but the nations I'll be choosing are ones that have high instances of religious persecution or are in need of hearing God's truth. I'll start with the least reached nations first and work my way down the list until I've created a card for each of the 57 nations on the list. While I create the card for each country, I'll be praying for the people of that country and encourage others to do so as well. 

This week's country is the least reached country with the fewest Christians and the most severe persecution for those who are discovered to be Christians. North Korea. 

This card was inspired by this fun fact: 

Until 1990, bicycles were outlawed in North Korea because they were considered to inhibit the flow of traffic. But as vehicles became more expensive and less available, more and more citizens were buying blackmarket bicycles so the laws were lifted and now, there are so many bicycles in North Korea that they have their own roads and pathways. There are bicycle manufacturers there now but many of the people prefer Japanese made bicycles for the quality and price. It is estimated that there is an average of 2 bicycles in every home. 

Bicycles in North Korea must be licensed and registered with plates just like cars. Women were prohibited from riding bikes up until 2012 because it was considered to be immodest. 

Please keep the people of North Korea in your prayers this week. Pray for these specific things:

• Pray for Almighty God to deliver a nation long-enslaved by a brutal regime.

 

• Pray for the Church to persevere and multiply amid horrific persecution.

 

• Pray for Truth to reign and liberate the nation from the regime's indoctrination and lies.

PrayerCast: North Korea

Not just cards, y'all!

Contrary to popular belief, paper crafting is more than making greeting cards. That's just my preferred method of expression for the craft but other avenues include, but are not limited to, scrapbooking, quilling, 3D arts like boxes and goodie bags, or simple things like bookmarks. 

I made a bookmark today that took me about 5 minutes and it turned out really cute! 

So, if you're overwhelmed at the thought of bigger projects, like cards or a whole scrapbook, you can make super cute things out of paper that take just a few minutes of your time and leave you feeling like you've created something amazing! 

This bookmark was part of a group challenge on one of the Facebook pages I belong to. The challenge was to create something that wasn't a card and used an embossing folder. So the brown paper has a wood grain design in it and that effect is created with an embossing folder. It's super quick and gives a wonderful texture to your project. 

If you're interested in taking one of my classes, let me know and we'll set something up. I'll teach you some fun techniques that will have you feeling like an artist in no time at all! 

Visit my Stampin' Up page

Sale-A-Bration!

Hello everyone!!

March is almost over and that means Sale-A-Bration is almost over too 😮 If you don't know yet what Sale-A-Bration is, let me explain.

Once a year, Stampin' Up holds an amazing opportunity for crafters like you and me to become Demonstrators or to get free limited edition products just for buying things you would probably already buy.

For every $50 you spend, you earn a free product from the Sale-A-Bration brochure. Things like stamp sets, die sets, specialty paper and embellishments that make your crafting so much more fun! There's no limit to the free items you can earn, 1 item for every $50 you spend. What a deal!

Check out my website to find out more: Danielle Peck's Stampin' Up Website

Here's a card set I made using some of the freebies I earned:

The ribbon was free- a whole big roll of each color, and the sentiment is from a stamp set- called Home to Roost- that was also free. The checked paper is limited time only- Gingham Gala- during Sale-A-Bration only so hurry and get some while supplies last. 

Here's another one I made using another stamp set I got for free. This one is called By The Bay and it's gorgeous. 

So many wonderful things going on right now at Stampin' Up. Please stop in and see what we're up to. If you're interested in hosting a class or just attending a class, please contact me and we'll set something up.

Happy Stamping! 

Lovin' The Crafter's Life...

Hello! It's been way too long since I've been on here and put up a post but I'm back at it and I'll be here more regularly. I've been doing a lot of paper crafting and enjoying it so much! For those of you who don't know, I've become an independent demonstrator for Stampin' Up and I love it! Such a wonderful company who sells amazing high quality products. Stamps, dies, paper, embellishments, etc.

This year, I promised myself that I'd send a handmade birthday card to everyone in my family as well as my friends. I've missed a few family members that I didn't have addresses for but over all I've done pretty well. And I've decided that this is something I'm going to continue as the years go by. I've loved doing it! I've loved reaching out and reconnecting with family and friends in a tangible way. Facebook birthday wishes are nice but getting an actual card in the mail, knowing that someone thought of you and took the time to get- or make- a card and send it to you is so much better :)

So, I stay busy making cards- all occasions...birthdays, anniversary, new baby, thank you, thinking of you...or blank for any occasion- and sending them to my loved ones. I also sell cards to those who can't or don't have time or inclination to make their own. So if you want to have a class and learn to make your own cards, hit me up. If you need cards for an occasion or just want a box of any/all occasion cards to have around for when you need them, hit me up for that too.

You can find me at my Stampin' Up website: Danielle Peck Stampin Up
You can also contact me through my Facebook Page: The Kenickie Card Company
Or you can email me Danielle Peck Email


Here are a few examples that I've been working on lately:

A quick introduction...

My name is Danielle Peck and I'm a paper addict! I love paper and making things out of paper. I love learning new skills using paper. I've only just recently discovered die cuts (I know, I'm behind the times) and I'm obsessed with them! Hubby bought me a Big Shot machine for Mother's Day and now I have a suitcase full of dies...Ebay is my friend LOL!

So, the point of this blog is to share my art- mostly greeting cards that I sell from the office of our small business here in Western Kentucky- and to share, as well as hopefully get- tips and tricks for fun projects, ideas, shortcuts, etc. I'm getting ready to start making my Christmas cards for the year so that's what my first post will be...a few ideas I'm noodling with for my annual card that I send to friends and family.


These are my favorite 3 from last year's batch and I think I'm going to do something similar this year  but instead of 70+ different cards, I'm going to try and choose a couple of designs and do some different variations of them so that it doesn't take me 4 months to make all that I need.


This one is probably my favorite. Very simple but elegant and there are so many things one can do with this design. The snowflakes in the background are stickers I found at Hobby Lobby but this year I think I'll find a nice snowflake stamp and use ink or maybe a couple of dies that can be reused over and over because stickers get expensive when doing so many cards. The paper was a glitter paper pack- also at Hobby Lobby that I got 50% off during one of their awesome sales. The pack came with many different colors of thick glitter paper that cut well and maintained nice lines. The possibilities with this one are endless.

 Velum and glitter paper snowflakes cut with my Cricut. I was thrilled that they cut cleanly because many of the designs I try on the Cricut don't. I haven't been 100% thrilled with the Cricut but I do occasionally get some good cuts. This year I think I'll try to find some fun metal dies that will be easier to use and more reliable.

This one turned out beautifully but what a lot of work it was! This one card took quite a bit of time and was quite bulky from all the folded paper needed to make it look right. If anyone has any suggestions for how to do these beautiful folded cards with less bulk, I would love to hear from you! The paper I used is some that I had left from my Creative Memories days and I loved it. Wish I had more of it! The stickers in the corners- again Hobby Lobby...I spend way too much time there ;)

Do you make your own Christmas/Holiday cards or do you buy them at the store? What are your favorite kinds of cards to make or receive? Would you be interested in being part of a fun card making contest? Just testing the waters here to see if there's interest. The prizes wouldn't be grand, but it would be a fun challenge and a way to share your creativity with others...let me know!