ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #3}, Confidence

I really struggled with our word for this week. I spent several hours studying two different words before this, and they just weren’t right. Was I relying on ‘self’? Maybe. Probably. And yes, I failed. Then God brought this word to my mind—

Challenge Word #3: Confidence

So as I began to study this word, I heard George Winston playing in the background. It was coming from the upstairs TV. I went up to see my daughter watching the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. I asked my daughter to rewind because I really felt I needed to watch this skater. God knew I would be drawn to George Winston. He knew how to get my attention! Anyway, as she came out onto the ice, the commentator says “Her problem has always been confidence.” I then started cheering “Yeah God. Thank you for confirming the word for this week.” I was SO excited. Then I see the skater close her eyes as she skates to the center of the ice. I thought “Oooh, she is praying? Maybe she is a Christian. How awesome.” Then the commentator comes in to say “Maybe that’s part of her new found confidence. Did you see her close her eyes and gather her thoughts?” Then I got frustrated. Maybe she wasn’t gathering her thoughts. Maybe she was praying. Why did he assume she was gathering her own self-confidence as she closed her eyes? What was she doing? I will never know for sure what she was actually doing but I do know when we rely on self-confidence instead of God-confidence, we will eventually fail just as I did with my first two attempts at writing today’s study.

So, what is the definition of confidence? Dictionary.com says it is the “belief in oneself or one’s powers or abilities; trustworthiness or reliability of a person or thing.” So, knowing the definition, in whom or in what do you place your confidence? Do you rely on ‘self’ or do you rely on God? Do you think you can go through each day on your own without ever needing to rely on God? Our natural talents, gifts, and abilities are God-given but they can only take us so far when we leave Him out of the picture.

As I prepared this study, God also encouraged me to make a God-confident list. As He brought things to mind, I thought “Lord, this list could go on forever.” And yes, because it is about Him, it certainly could. How encouraging it is to look at His confidence and not my own. This is the list I should be making not my own ‘achievement’ list. Here is the short list I started, and I encourage you to add to it. Back it up with scripture. Keep the list in your Bible. When you begin to think you can do it yourself, remember, our confidence needs to be placed in Him and not ourselves. Here is the beginning of my list:

I can be confident in God that:
• Salvation is only found in Him. (Acts 4:12)
• My salvation is certain. (John 10:27-30, Philippians 1:6)
• I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 6:19)
• He hears and answers my prayers in His way and His time. (1 John 5:14-15)
• His love for me is endless. (Psalm 32:10)
• He keeps His promises. (Hebrews 6:13-14)
• God does not lie. (Number 23:19)
• His Word is truth. (Psalm 33:4)
• God continues to transform me daily into the image of His Son. (Romans 12:1-2)

So, are you self-confident so that you can boast? Or are you God-confident so that you can give Him all of the glory? Ask God to help you recognize those times when you are self-confident and ask Him to replace it with His confidence instead. Then watch and be in awe as you see what He does!

For my page this week, I used scraps from a layout I did earlier this week. I also used the Our Daily Bread Designs For the Graduate stamp set. I used the image for the background behind my two scriptures, and the Proverbs 3:6 scripture is from the same set.
Papers: Basic Grey Origins, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs For the Graduate (scripture & background)
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink pumice stone, Memento tuxedo black
Embellishments: Doodlebug silk flower, Zva Creative flowers, Creative Café button, Sizzix little leaves, Paper Trey Ink just the ticket border die, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, Basic Grey chip letter, Dymo labeler, hand-dyed seam binding, sewing machine
Sketch Used: Sketchabilities #23

The scriptures I chose were:
Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”
Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

Some of you have asked what the tab is that I am putting on the top of my pages. I used tabs on my ATC holder in 2008 also. I love being able to find a word quickly on the revolving carousel, and these tabs make that possible. :)

Enjoy your study and creative time! :) Please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting in any galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! I hope y'all are enjoying each others work and leaving some love. It sure is fun to see what scriptures everyone chooses! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here.

Have a blessed week ahead, and remember to draw on His-confidence in all you do this week!

ODBD Stamping In Time Challenge {SNTODBD27}

**Note, if you are looking for the Faith Journaling Challenge, please see the post below! :)**

Happy Thursday everyone! Today I decided to join in the Stamping in Time Challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs. I don't always have time to play along, but I made time for this one. I think this is a fun challenge, and I hope you will play along with us! The challenge this rotation is "All about Love!" Love can be conveyed in many ways. You can use sentiments, stamps, or designer papers that use the word love or have a heart on them! You can use scriptures that actually use the word LOVE! Or, you can come up with your own idea about LOVE!

Well, I decided to go a completely different route with this "love" theme. I have a fascination with alligators. For those of you that have been around my blog for some time, you probably already know this. Well, when we go home to South Carolina, I see them almost everyday, and I tend to get a bit TOO close to them. This particular alligator was hissing at me because I got too close. See how is mouth is open? Eeek! Anyway, the family gets quite upset with me. This past year I was better and tried to stay away. I think as I get older, I am finally getting a little fearful of them. So, the title on my 8x8 layout is "Is it Love?" :) :)

To create the 'love' heart, I used a scripture stamp from the ODBD set called "Love One Another." I inked up the word 'love', and stamped it multiple times on my paper. I then cut it out and adhered it to my piece of chipboard. I did the same thing with the 'love' banner at the top of my page. I then used a scripture from the new ODBD set called "Faith" because alligators are beautiful in their own way. :) I also meshed two sketches for this layout--SBSC270B and CPCST93.

Papers: Basic Grey Origins, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Love One Another (love background on heart & top corner), Our Daily Bread Designs Faith (scripture)
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks shabby shutters, Memento tuxedo black
Embellishments: Zva Creative pearls, Spellbinders eyelet circles, Basic Grey chipboard bracket & question mark, Rose Moka alpha stickers, Elle's Studio journaling tag, Pink Paislee alpha stickers, Scenic Route chipboard heart, Glimmer Mist suede and key lime, sewing machine

I hope you will play along with us. For more inspiration, be sure to visit the other ODBD designers that are playing along. I am sure they would love some 'love' too! :)

Sabrina
Fran
Grace
Betty
Pat
Angie

For complete details on how to join in, please see the details in this post here. You must use ODBD stamps, and please remember to use Keyword SNTODBD27 when linking to SCS or other online galleries. Thanks for stopping by, and have a blessed day!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #60

This week in BSF as we have studied Isaiah 40:1-11 and read of how God comforts His people, I thought we should share:

**How has God comforted you in a recent situation?

Isaiah 40:11 "He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young."

Have a blessed time of studying and journaling! Remember, all previous faith journaling questions can be found in this post here. Have a joyous weekend ahead!

My New {Anchor} Page & Sneak Peek

How many of you saw the comment Kelley left on my "Anchor" page for the first ABC Scripture Challenge study? If you didn't see it, here is what she said:

"Kelley said...
We have an anchor set coming out soon.........
January 2, 2011 11:14 PM"

Kelley is the owner of Our Daily Bread Designs, and yes, she has a GORGEOUS new anchor set coming out in February. I decided to use the new set to create my new "anchor" page since I have changed the page size that I am doing this year. If you missed that post, please look here. Anyway, here is my new page, and it uses two of the stamps from the new "Anchor" set.
Papers: Basic Grey Marjolaine, Memory Box Brioche, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Anchor
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain and pumice stone, Memento tuxedo black
Embellishments: Tim Holtz tiny attacher and journaling tickets, October Afternoon alpha stickers, Basic Grey Sugar Rush chip alpha, Paper Trey Ink just the ticket border die and rustic twine, Derwent watercolor pencils

What do you think? I hope you like the little sneak peek, and I am sure this is a set you all are going to want! I LOVE it. So, if you haven't done your "anchor" page yet, you might want to wait until you can get this set in February! And if you haven't entered the ODBD Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge yet, give it a try. You might just win a $25 gift certificate and be able to get this new set for free! :) Well, enjoy the evening, and thanks for stopping by. I truly appreciate my blog readers!!

Organizational {Friday} Snapware

Okay, I am probably the only person on this earth that has never seen or heard of Snapware! Gracious, where have I been? I do not go to crops as we have nothing where I live. But now that I am teaching classes at Stamp Salado (35 minutes or so from my home), I have had a need to invest in a bit of "travel goodies." Snapware has been my greatest find! Let me show you what it is, how I use it, and then we can brainstorm on other ways to use it!

What is Snapware?
I wonder if there are really others out there like me that have never heard of this stuff? Well, it is definitely something that can be used for organization in your craft space or for "on the go" crafting. My favorite pieces are the Snap 'n Stack pieces. I love that they stack and snap together. You can carry them as one piece with the handle on the lid. Ingenious! Here is the medium 3-layer unit I have: How to Use It
I have two of these now. I use one for my Christmas tags, small bows, etc. It even fits down inside my wrapping paper container. Perfect! For paper crafting, I am using it to take supplies to my classes. I LOVE it! Look how it fits perfectly down inside my rolling tote:
Now my tote is not full yet as I am currently packing for my class tomorrow but I wanted you to see how wonderful this little gem is! In the particular piece I have, the first two trays are open and thus fit lots of stamps and supplies. Here you can see some of my stamps for tomorrow's class in the top tray:
The bottom tray is really neat because it has 6 divided sections. This will be full of goodies for tomorrow once I am packed!Isn't this a great piece? I think I paid $6-$7 for it at Target. Now Snapware makes many different styles and sizes but this was the only Snap 'n Stack piece I found at my local store. I know you can order them online but I would rather just buy it here.

Brainstorming Uses for Other Storage
So, do you currently have one of these pieces? How do you use it? Leave a comment in the comment section, and I will update this post along with your name because I certainly can't take credit for your ideas! :) Some ideas I have thought of are:

*Storing small ink pads (Memento, SU spots, etc.)
*Storing Stickles
*Paints
*Small tags
*Chipboard storage

*Take pre-stamped images & colored pencils/Copics with you (suggested by Stephanie)
*Storing Cricut Cartridges, rubber keypads, and booklets (suggested by Barbara B.)
*Storing large lace and large flowers (suggested by Kim)
*Separating themed stamps: christian-themed in 1 tier, alcohol inks/supplies in 1 tier, Stampscapes stamps/supplies in 1 tier (suggested by Jo4Him)
*Take to swaps and use one tray to collect swap (suggested by Stephen)
*Use divided tray for microbeads (suggested by Stephen)

So, what do you think? How do you use Snapware? And as a little bonus--if you haven't heard, Core'dinations has teamed up with Tim Holtz and is releasing two new paper packs--Distress and Adirondack collections. You can enter to win one of these new paper packs by visiting this link here. Good luck to all who enter. I entered myself too as I love Tim Holtz Distress stuff! Thanks to Becca for letting me know about the contest! And please note, this giveaway is only open the residents of the U.S. and Canada. Sorry, I didn't realize that but I am hoping that maybe some of my blog readers will win! :) Have a blessed weekend everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #59

Yesterday there was something "out of the ordinary" in our subdivision. I called the police, and then I called on my Great Protector. In all things, I know He is there for me. All is well here, and He gave me great peace! So today, please share:

**As God is your Protector, share how He has protected you in a situation?

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

Have a blessed time of studying and journaling! Remember, all previous faith journaling questions can be found in this post here. Have a joyous weekend ahead!

What's in the Box {Anyway}

Every year, Dave of Memory Box Co. releases a huge release of new stamps and papers. Stores buy on faith knowing that he creates amazing products but they have NO idea what they are buying. If they participate in the program, a huge box shows up at their store with new papers, stamps, and goodies but as I said, they do not know what is in the box thus the saying "What's in the Box?" It is SO fun for sure! Anyway, the Memory Box Design Team members have created cards and layouts showcasing the new items "in that box." I did a layout today using 4 of the new stamps and some of the new 6x6 Minuet papers. There is also another 6x6 paper pack but I will leave that reveal to another DT member. :)

Anyway, here is my layout (an 8x8 page). I love everything about this new release. There are so many amazing goodies, and these are just 5 of them!!!! I can't wait to create more using this fun new stuff.
Papers: Memory Box Minuet, Paper Trey Ink cs
Memory Box Stamps: Circle Word Background E1711 (on lace tags), Grass Print C1721 (on lace tags), Cocoa Bean Butterfly C1714, Vintage Record Sheet G1712 (for journaling)
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain, Memento bamboo leaves
Embellishments: My Little Shoebox alpha stickers, Basic Grey chip alpha, Derwent watercolor pencils (3, 48, & 68), Creative Café felt flowers and buttons, Paper Trey Ink buttons and rustic twine, Martha Stewart lace tags, Scenic Route chipboard circle, Glossy Accents

The reason I am posting here on my personal crafting blog is because you can enter for a chance to win some Memory Box goodies! Visit this link, leave a comment, and Dave will be picking out some random winners during the reveal over the next two weeks! Want more chances to win, check the Memory Box DT blog each day, and leave comments on each DT post through January 28th.

I hope some of my blog readers win! Who wouldn't love some Memory Box goodies? I also hope you enjoy my layout. It was a super fun one to create! Enjoy, and see you tomorrow with your next Faith Journaling prompt! Blessings,

Week 3 {ODBDLYLS1} Scrapbook Challenge

Welcome to Week 3 of scrappy inspiration for our first Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs! Our challenge for you this month is to create a scrapbook page with this sketch:
This sketch can be used for any page size, and you can add as many or as few embellishments as you want. Use your creative imagination. Have you thought about flipping the sketch or using more than one photo? Why don't you try it!!

For my 8x8 page today, I decided to use 3 photos instead of one! I also used four stamp sets from ODBD! Here is what I did with each set. I stamped the Small Butterfly Background onto the brown paper with embossing ink and then embossed it with clear embossing powder. It makes a beautiful background without being too much. I then used the Large Butterfly Background to just cut out a few of the butterflies and then covered each one in Glossy Accents. It is so fun to use parts of a background stamp as an individual stamp! Have you ever tried that? The verse I used is from the For the Graduate set, and I cut out even more butterflies from the Faith set. I hope you will try thinking 'out of the box' as you use stamps on your scrapbook pages!

The photos are of one of my daughters. She rides her bike with me at 7 a.m. each morning on the beach when we go home. We have a special spot where we have prayer time, and there is just nothing like it! Such a blessing!!!! Here is how my page turned out:
Papers: Memory Box Pixie, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Small Butterfly Background, Large Butterfly Background (cutouts), For the Graduate (verse), Faith (cutouts)
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink embossing ink and walnut stain, Memento potter's clay and bamboo leaves, Ranger clear ep
Embellishments: Paper Trey Ink just the ticket border die and rustic twine, Sizzlits little leaves die, Martha Stewart lace tag, Elle's Studio journaling tag, Tim Holtz tissue tape, Glossy Accents, Heidi Swapp ledger chip alpha and ghost clock, Rose Moka alpha stickers, Copic E29 to color misc. jewel

Now make sure you hop on over to see Grace's amazing 12x12 page. It is stunning, and you definitely won't want to miss it or the chance to leave her some love!!

So, are you working on your pages? I hope you are. We can't wait to see them!! Can you believe there are only two entries thus far? Come on and join us!!!! What a great opportunity to win some ODBD stamps!

How do you play along and get entered for the $25 gift certificate? You need to visit this post here on the ODBD blog. Be sure to follow the rules because I would hate for someone to miss out on the prize opportunity! Once you create your page or pages, link them to that same post on the ODBD blog. The challenge runs through Monday, January 31st, at 6 pm EST. You have just under 2 weeks left to get your entries in. We would love to see great participation with this first challenge! You can enter as many times as you like just remember to link your creations to the ODBD blog post. The winner will be announced with our new challenge that will begin February 1st! Be sure to use Keyword ODBDLYLS1 when linking to SCS or other public galleries.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my page and how I used each stamp set. If you have never done a scrapbook page, that is even more exciting! Give it a try and enter! You may find you LOVE it! Blessings,

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #2}, Bible

This week I saw a post asking if you pick and choose God’s rules to follow. It broke my heart to see the responses. As I read, prayed, and dwelled on the question, I realized that we really need to look at this Book called the Bible and how it is to be used to affect our lives daily. I touched on this topic in my very first Scripture Challenge in 2008. I encourage you to read that post also. You can find it here. Today I will share more of what the Lord has brought to me concerning His precious Word.

Challenge Word #2: Bible

How many of you remember this song? Here are the first two verses:

The B-I-B-L-E
Oh! The B-I-B-L-E,
Yes that's the book for me.
I stand alone on the word of God,
the B-I-B-L-E!

The B-I-B-L-E
I'll take it along with me,
I'll read and pray,
and then obey,
the B-I-B-L-E.

Is the Bible the Book for you? Do you know that His Word is absolute truth? Do you read it, pray, and then obey it? It seems like such a simple song but it is full of great instruction for us. The Bible:

• Should have an impact on our lives (2 Kings 22:11-13).
• Should teach us the difference between right and wrong (Joshua 1:7-8).
• Is God’s guide for us (Psalm 48:14, 2 Timothy 4:16).
• Is reliable, without error, and does not contradict itself (Numbers 23:19, 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 33:4, Proverbs 30:5).
• Its truths never change (Mark 13:31).
• Is relevant to all ages (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
• Reveals the living God, our Holy Creator (Deuteronomy 32:6, Luke 24:1-9).

Those are just a few ‘highlights’ of what the Bible is and should be to us. I encourage you to read each of the Scriptures listed above. As the inerrant Word of God, we cannot pick and choose what we think is truth and what is not. We either believe the entire Bible or we make the entire Book false. If we do not agree with that, then we need to pray that God help us align ourselves with Him because we are the ones with the faulty thinking.

I love the story of the midwives in Exodus 1 when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. The more the Israelites were oppressed by the Egyptians, the more they multiplied. Pharaoh feared the people would become so numerous that they would rise up against him. So Pharaoh devised a plan telling the Hebrew midwives to kill any Hebrew boys that were born but to allow the girls to live. Here is a short passage from Exodus 1:

Exodus 1:15-21 “The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.’ The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, ‘Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?’ The midwives answered Pharaoh, ‘Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.’ So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.”

Now the midwives fear was not that they were afraid of God. It was a reverent fear of Him. A reverent fear of God and courage is always the best response in a difficult circumstance. God protects and prepares those that He calls to serve Him. The midwives knew God, His Word had been passed through the generations, and they obeyed His Word. We are called to do the same. Do you allow the Word of God to govern your life? The truth of God’s Word transcends generations. It is powerful and effective, and it points people to who God is. I love this quote from my Life Application Study Bible “God’s Word is not just information to read but His Word should transform our lives.” Are your reading His Word and being transformed daily?

For my page today, I used a scripture from the Our Daily Bread Designs "Ask, Seek, Knock" stamp set. I also wanted to include the verses just before this particular verse so I handwrote those. The verses I used were Proverbs 8:32-34. The butterflies are from the Our Daily Bread Designs set called "Faith." They represent a new creation as I am transformed daily by reading His Word, obeying His Word, and trusting in His Word. And did you noticed I used the ODBD sketch from our first scrapbook challenge? There is still time to enter that if you want to play along! :) And now, here is my first 5x6 page for my 7Gypsies Photo Carousel. Papers: Basic Grey Marjolaine, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Ask, Seek, Knock (scripture); Our Daily Bread Designs Faith (butterflies)
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain, Ranger Adirondack denim and clear ep
Embellishments: Scenic Route chipboard letter; Dymo labeler; L'il Davis chipboard heart; Maya Road pleated ribbon and organza roses; Tim Holtz tiny attacher; Paper Trey Ink buttons, just the ticket border die, and rustic twine

So, I hope you will enjoy your study and creative time! :) Please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting in any galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here.

And in closing for today, in hard times, draw on Him and His Word. In good times, draw on Him and His word. In everyday times, draw on Him and His Word. His Words should affect our lives daily. Are they? Have a blessed week ahead!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Changing my Page Size}!

Okay, some of you are going to think I am crazy but I have decided NOT to do 6x6 pages this year. Yes, my page for 'Anchor' last week was a 6x6 but I will be re-creating it! Earlier this week, I was looking through my 7Gypsies ATC carousel. It sits on my desk, and I sat and looked through each card. You may remember it from 2008:
Anyway, I realized how much I loved making the ATCs, and I love how the whole piece turned out. It has also lasted so beautifully over these past few years. So, I had on hand a 7Gypsies Photo Carousel Revolving Unit. It has 3 tiers instead of the 2 that the ATC unit has, and the pages are larger than ATCs. Instead of having it collect dust in the box, I decided I am going to use it for the ABC Scripture Challenge this year instead! My pages for this unit will be 5x6. So, they will be just an inch smaller on one side than what I was doing. I am also going to use the page protectors to print each study and place them behind my created page. This will be wonderful for the kids to have someday--at least I hope they like it. I will use the template for punching the holes on each page I create. The punch, carousel, and page protectors are all from 7Gypsies. I have gotten these items from Your ATC Store in the past but I am sure you can get them at many different online and brick & mortar stores.

Well, I thought I would share what I am doing before you see my page tomorrow. :) Let me know if you have questions, and have a blessed evening!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #58

There is so much going on around our world today--horrendous floods in Australia, the shootings in Arizona, personal challenges, etc. So today let's look at:

**How has God helped you to be content in any circumstance, or do you still struggle with contentment?

Philippians 4:11-12 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Have a blessed time of studying and journaling! Remember, all previous faith journaling questions can be found in this post here. Have a joyous weekend ahead!

Tuesday's {Tip} Coloring Twill Tape

Most of us have seen the colored seam binding or Hug Snug around the web. It really adds to a creation and is so fun to make. In fact, I posted about it last June and shared the different ways to color the seam binding. If you missed that post, you can see it here. Well, did you know that you can also color twill? I have been playing with it, and I LOVE coloring twill!!! Twill is also cheap just like Hug Snug (seam binding). Let's look at how I color twill.

Where to Buy
I buy my twill from Twilltape.com. I use their lightweight white cotton tape for coloring. I have not tried to color the heavier tape. I also have not tried to color the natural tape but I have that on order and will give it a try when it gets here. The rolls from Twilltape.com are huge--72 yards for $8-$16 depending on the width of the twill.

How to Color the Twill
I color the twill the same way I color Hug Snug. First, I spritz the twill with water to get it damp. Then I spritz with Glimmer Mist. Glimmer Mist is my favorite coloring medium for twill. Here is a piece of white twill after I spritzed it with suede Glimmer Mist:
I needed this particular piece rather fast, so I decided to dry it with my heat tool. Because I didn't want to burn my fingers, I scrunched up the twill and held it with a wooden clothespin to dry it. It worked perfectly.
Here you can see this colored piece used on a Copic creation I made for an upcoming article:
Papers: X-Press It, Anna Griffin
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps Three Dresses
Stamp Ink: Memento rich cocoa, Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain
Copic Markers: B23, B24, B26, R81, R83, R85, G21, G24, G40, YG67, E00, C1, and 0 (colorless blender)
Embellishments: Spellbinders scalloped rectangle dies, Glimmer Mist suede, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, Paper Trey Ink button and rustic twine, misc. cardboard, clothespins, jute from Hobby Lobby

And here is some twill colored with pink taffy Glimmer Mist. This is for a card I will teach in a Memory Box class later this month.
Papers: Memory Box sugar plum notecard and envelope, Memory Box Pixie, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Memory Box Love & Hearts B1423, Memory Box Heart Bird Keepsake F1439
Stamp Ink: Memento rose bud
Embellishments: twill colored with pink taffy Glimmer Mist, Glossy Accents, Paper Trey Ink button

I hope you will try coloring some twill. It really is fun and creates a perfectly matched ribbon for your creation!

Also, I hope you will be playing along with us at Our Daily Bread Designs and submitting a layout to our first scrapbook challenge. You have until January 31st to enter, and so far there are no entries. :( :( Kelley is generously giving away a $25 gift certificate to ODBD so I hope you will play along! You can see all of the details in this post here. Thanks for stopping by today, and let me know what you think of the twill. Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #57

As we enter the new year, I know some of you may start a new Bible study. Some of you may be in the midst of one that will continue this year. So, let's look at this question today:

**Do you currently attend a Bible study? Describe it.

Luke 24:45 "Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures."

Have a blessed time of studying and journaling! Remember, all previous faith journaling questions can be found in this post here. Have a joyous weekend ahead!

{ODBDLYLS1} Our First Scrapbook Challenge at ODBD!

Welcome to our first 'Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge' at Our Daily Bread Designs. We are SO very, very excited that Kelley has decided to start this new team because you will find that these stamps are made perfectly for your scrapbook pages! We hope that if you haven't scrapbooked before that you will join us and give it a try. If you are a seasoned scrapper but haven't tried stamps on your pages, we hope that you will give that a try too! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to play along!

Our challenge for January is a sketch! We thought it would be helpful to start with a sketch to get you started! Here is your sketch:For my 8x8 page, I used two stamp sets from Our Daily Bread Designs: Peace & Joy, Fleur de Lis Border. I also used the ODBD Snowflake Set Dies set to cut out my stamped snowflakes. You can see I used the border stamp to create my journaling box. The snowflakes I stamped for embellishments, and then the verse is stamped on the bottom of my page. I also used one of the new grand dies from Spellbinders--Grand Labels One! Too fun!

Papers: October Afternoon Fly A Kite and Report Card
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Peace & Joy, Our Daily Bread Designs Fleur de Lis Border
Stamp Ink: SU night of navy
Embellishments: Our Daily Bread Designs snowflake die, Spellbinders Grand Labels One, Maya Road cream pleated ribbon, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, Basic Grey chipboard alpha, misc. ticket, October Afternoon mini market stickers, Making Memories tiny alpha stickers, Copic B39 to color misc. jewels

Sabrina Jackson is the other ODBD Breadstick that played along with me today for the challenge. Please be sure to see her page here. This was only the second scrapbook page she has EVER done! WOW! Now that's truly amazing inspiration for those of you new to scrapping!!!

Now, how do you play along and get entered for the $25 gift certificate? You need to visit this post here on the ODBD blog. Be sure to follow the rules because I would hate for someone to miss out on the prize opportunity! Once you create your page or pages, link them to that same post on the ODBD blog. The challenge runs from today through Monday, January 31st, at 6 pm EST. You have all month to enter, and you can enter as many times as you like just remember to link your creations to the ODBD blog post. The winner will be announced with our new challenge that will begin February 1st! Be sure to use Keyword ODBDLYLS1 when linking to SCS or other public galleries.

Thank you for stopping by! We are very excited to see your scrapbook pages. Have a blessed day!

Some {Memory Box} Layouts

Happy Monday everyone! Well, I have not only been doing layouts for Our Daily Bread Designs but I have been doing them for Memory Box too. Once I started, I couldn't stop! I did 6 layouts in less than a week. That is unheard of for me! Oh but it brought such joy! You will definitely be seeing more layouts from me this year. I will of course continue to do cards and altered art too. I just love it all. :)

Anyway, today, I wanted to share two of the layouts I did using the new Valentine paper, called Pixie, from Memory Box. I chose to continue using the snow pictures I have on hand, and these papers went perfectly for both layouts. I also used one of the new Valentine stamps to create my banner on the second layout. So fun to do! So, here are the layouts. To see complete details and supply lists, please click on the layout name, and it will take you to the detailed post!

How Many Inches? (8x8 layout)Love Snow? (8x8 layout)
Thanks for looking, and don't forget to join me tomorrow for the first scrapbook challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs. I am SO excited. You can see details here. Blessings, and see you tomrrow!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #1}, Anchor

Welcome to our first challenge for the year 2011. I am so excited to see where God leads all of us this year. He has already been laying some things on my heart, and I am keeping detailed notes as He brings them to me! If you missed the introduction to this challenge, please see my post here for complete details. So, let's get started with our first study.

Early in December as I was working on my Bible Study Fellowship lesson, there was a question at the end of the lesson that asked “Will you ask God to anchor your mind to Him? How will you choose to fill your mind with Him this week?” That was such a powerful and eye-opening question to me. Wow, anchoring myself to God. I have never thought of it in that context before. This is something I have really been thinking about since then, and thus I thought it would be a great word for us to start with this year.

Challenge Word #1: Anchor

How many of you have been in a storm at sea? Probably not many of you but you can certainly imagine how scary it would be. Even the storms on land can be very scary at times. Think of the disciples as they were out on the Sea of Galilee. The twelve disciples along with Jesus went out on a boat that was big enough to carry all of them. They had not gone out in a storm yet once they were out on the water, one caught them without warning. Matthew 8:23-26 says “Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”

Look at Jesus’ response to the disciples, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” It seems so easy to love God and share our joys with Him but when the going gets rough, we panic just as the disciples did. Or maybe you are the other way, when things are easy you leave God out of the picture but the minute something gets tough, you cling to Him. No matter which one of these describes you, our faith should be strong in all things—during the good and the bad. If we are not anchored to God, we drift. We waiver in our relationship with Him, and then we feel like we will drown in the “storms of life.” God not only knows what is going on in your life, He has the power to help you deal with it. We need to be anchored to God just as a ship is anchored to the ocean floor. And this isn’t just once we need to do this but daily. We need to wake up purposely anchoring ourselves to Him so that we can stay firm and secure with Him through our day instead of drifting with the waves. Will you anchor yourself to God today, tomorrow, and the days ahead?

My 5x6 page uses the brand new Memory Box papers and the new ODBD set called "Anchor" that will be released in February 2011. The scriptures I chose were:

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Hebrews 6:19 “The hope we have is an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast.” Papers: Basic Grey Marjolaine, Memory Box Brioche, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Anchor
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain and pumice stone, Memento tuxedo black
Embellishments: Tim Holtz tiny attacher and journaling tickets, October Afternoon alpha stickers, Basic Grey Sugar Rush chip alpha, Paper Trey Ink just the ticket border die and rustic twine, Derwent watercolor pencils

So, that's my page. Now it's time for you to study and create! :) And be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting in any galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. You may want to bookmark that page so you can easily find all of the studies for this year.

And in closing for today, remember that whatever comes your way in 2011, God knows what you are going through. He has a purpose behind it. Anchor yourself to Him daily, and know that in time “this storm will pass” and you will have grown with Him through it. He can provide strength in any circumstance. He is our anchor, our security, our hope. Many blessings to you,