Triple the Scraps

Tuesday's {Tip} A Prayer File

2012-01-31T13:39:00.002-06:00

Most of you have seen the prayer box I made back in 2009. I am still not happy with it. Yes, I am always in a state of wanting to try something different. So, today I am going to share yet another little idea on how to keep track of those prayer requests that you have. If you missed my previous post, look here. So, now let's now look at my newest idea.

I purchased two of these little beauties at Hobby Lobby. I knew I would find uses for them, and for this one I made it into a prayer file.

These are kind of hard to find within the store (Hobby Lobby). Both times I have found them in different parts of the store but they seem to always be on a display with other home decor. The item number is Item #6919096 if that helps you. They run $8.99 but you can use your 40% off coupon!

Here is my new attempt at using a prayer box/file. I know I love using prayer cards better than using a prayer journal because I can carry cards with me, move them easily to the praise section, and I have plenty of room for notes. With prayer journals, I never leave enough room or I leave too much room. It drives me crazy to run out of room or have left too much room leftover. Yes, showing the perfectionist in me here. :) Anyway, I also decided to use library cards instead of 3x5 cards. The library cards are so much heavier, and they already have a date column. Love that! I can use the date column for the date of the prayer request, and I am also using that column for scripture addresses. On the back of the card, I am going to put the "praise" when a prayer is answered. I purchased the library cards from amazon.com. You can see them here. And here is how my prayer file looks all made up:

Box: from Hobby Lobby
Papers: recycled chipboard, library cards from amazon.com
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Never Give Up, Sweet William Small, Mini Tags 3
Stamp Ink: VersaFine onyx black
Embellishments: Tim Holtz mini paper clips, Elle's Studio lined tags, flower from Wild Orchid Crafts, washi tape from cutetape.com, sewing machine

The stamps I used are all from Our Daily Bread Designs: Never Give Up (the large cross), Sweet William Small (praying and also has a praise stamp), and Mini Tags 3 (praise God). These are stamps I am keeping in my "Frequently Used Stamps" binder. I cut the dividers out of my recycled chipboard I posted about the other day. I sure hope this idea works out better for me. So far I am lovin' it!

I hope this helps some of you with those prayer requests too! Enjoy, and have a blessed Tuesday!

{HSCRC12} Hymn #3, How Great Thou Art

2012-01-29T14:24:00.179-06:00

Hymn Challenge #3: How Great Thou Art

Written by: Stuart K. Hine
b. 1899 (England); d. 1989

In 1885, a Swedish preacher by the name of Carl Boberg wrote a poem called "O Store Gud" which means "Oh Great God." Carl Boberg wrote the poem and never thought of it becoming a hymn. He did not write any music to his poem; it was just a poem.

Then in the 1920's, English missionaries, Stuart K. Hine and his wife were ministering in Poland. While they were there, they learned of Boberg's poem and it had been coupled with a Swedish melody. Later with the inspiration from Boberg's poem and the Swedish melody, Stuart Hine composed his own original verses and made his own arrangement of the tune which we now know as "How Great Thou Art."

Mr. Hine wrote the first three verses after his experiences in the Carpathian Mountains. He experienced a storm with mighty thunder, saw the forest glades as he walked through the woods, and heard the birds singing sweetly in the trees (Verse 2). While going through the mountains, he also meditated on John 3 thus we see in Verse 3 how he is awe inspired that God would send His Son to die for him! The 4th verse was not written until he returned England. When you see this hymn in a hymnal you will see both the names Carl Boberg and Stuart K. Hine. For a more in-depth study of the history of "How Great Thou Art," please click here.

Several times this week I tried to work on this post focusing on another hymn but each time, I was taken back to this hymn (How Great Thou Art). Then Tuesday night as I entered the sanctuary for our weekly study at Bible Study Fellowship, I am sure you can guess which hymn we sang first--yes, "How Great Thou Art." I almost started laughing because I felt God had a sense of humor to show me again that I was to share this hymn this week. So, listening to His prompting, I left the other study because I knew God wanted us to take time and focus on Him this week.

"How Great Thou Art" beautifully states who God is and our response to Him. As you read the verses in this hymn, I love how we can see the progression of who God is. Let's look at Verses 1 and 2, and remember where Mr. Hine was as he wrote them.

Verse 1
O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The world Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout
The universe displayed;

Verse 2
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;

Do you look at creation around you like that? Do you see God's hand in it all and see Him as Creator of all things? Do you see His power and majesty? If you missed my study back in 2009 on God as Creator, feel free to read it here. There is an amazing video in that post that I still love! Anyway, God's word shows us in so many places that He is all-powerful, He is creator, and that He alone is to receive all glory, honor, and praise!

Psalm 68:34 "Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies."

Jeremiah 10:12 "But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding."

Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Then in Verse 3, we see how He sent His Son to die for our sins, and for those of us that believe in Him, we will have eternal life!

Verse 3
And when I think,
That God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die,
I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross,
My burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died
To take away my sin.

He loves us; we are His creation. He loves us SO much that He didn't even spare His own Son! His Son died for my sins, your sins, and for every person on this earth so that we can spend eterinty with Him! But as our Creator, we must accept the gift or we will miss out on eternal life with Him.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:18 "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

1 John 4:9-10 "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

1 John 4:14-15 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."

Then in the 4th and final verse, we see the promise of His return. As Christians we are filled with hope as we are certain of His return and certain of our salvation. Can you say that you are filled with hope at the thought of His return? Can you say that you have been saved by the blood of Christ? It is all truly hard to fathom but by faith in Him we can completely trust in His Word!

Verse 4
When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
My God, how great Thou art!

Psalm 145:3 "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom."

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

Below you will find the sheet music to "How Great Thou Art." Make sure you look at the link I have included for you below the hymn.

Click here to listen to Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill sing this hymn. Once again grab the tissues!

For my 5x7 page today, I used Psalm 47:2 which says "How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!" The stamped verse comes from the ODBD set called Scripture Collection 3. I thought it was a great reminder to focus on Him who is King and Creator of all. For the doily at the bottom of my page, I used my recycled chipboard (see this post from last Tuesday) along with a Tim Holtz die to cut the doily. I used purple on my page to designate His majesty.

Papers: Memory Box Frond, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection 3
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink dusty concord
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Distress Stain antique linen, Tim Holtz distressed doily die, Copic V17 to color rhinestones, Kaisercraft rhinestones, Zva Creative pearls, Hug Snug hand-dyed seam binding, flower from Wild Orchid Crafts, sewing machine

Also, I have two things for you this week. First, I found a channel on YouTube called "BestLovedHymns." They have many old hymns available for you to listen to. You might want to check them out. Click here to see their channel.

And second, my dear online friend, Abby (a pianist for her church), is going to be sharing free hymn printables. You will definitely want to subscribe to her Pinterest or blog so you can get printable hymns.

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous study, please see this post here.

And lastly, I will close today with this scripture written by Paul to the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

Blessings to each of you!

Organizational {Friday} Frequently Used Stamps

2012-01-27T04:02:00.002-06:00

First, are you surprised to see an "Organizational Friday" post? I am so swamped here that I just have not had time plus most of my things are organized just as I want them so there isn't a lot to post about. I will continue to post "Organizational Friday's" as I have time or something new to share. You can always ask for something specific too. If I can help and have time to post, I certainly will do that for ya! For all of my organizational tips, you can always reference this post too! I hope that helps!

Now onto my topic for today. I have come to realize that there are some stamps that I use frequently. I love my stamps how they are organized but I thought I would make ONE box filled with just the frequently used stamps on my desk. This way I can grab them fast without even getting up from my chair. Let's look at what I did.

Of course I used a Univenture binder but this particular binder is the A5 3-ring binder (19mm) instead of the A5 3-ring binder (32mm) that I use for all of my other stamps. I don't have THAT many "frequently used" stamps so I didn't need the wider binder. It looks like the smaller binder is even on sale now for $0.96!! Wow! Here is my binder covered in a piece of pink Memory Box paper. :)

I stamped a reference sheet to put in the binder. The reference sheet matches the placement of stamps on the page too so it's easy to find them. Sometimes reading stamps backwards can be difficult. LOL!

The reference sheet also tells me the stamp company name, the set name, and the box where the entire set can be found. If you have never seen my numbering system for my stamp storage boxes, please see my post here.

Now, I am thinking of moving my die storage to these binders. Not sure yet but be watching just in case I make that move! :) Also, be sure to check back on Tuesday when I will show you how I am using some of these "Frequently Used Stamps." Thanks for stopping by today, and I always appreciate each of you and the sweet comments you leave. Blessings,

Tuesday's {Tip} Recycling Thin Chipboard

2012-01-24T04:02:00.038-06:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Lately I have been saving the thin chipboard I get from K-cup boxes, our vitamin supplements, and other nice thin chipboard that comes into our home. The chipboard I am saving has the same thickness as the chipboard found in a Kleenex or cereal box (though I am not saving those but they could certainly be used). I have decided to take this chipboard and cut them into small tags. It seems I never have a tag on hand when I want one!

For my tags, I am using several tag dies: ODBD Tag die, Memory Box Classic Tags, and the Sizzix Bigz Tiny Tabs and Tags die by Tim Holtz. The thinner dies by Our Daily Bread Designs and Memory Box Co. cut right through this thinner chipboard. It is awesome. When I use the Tim Holtz die, I am able to cut 3 tags at once. In the photo below, I cut a tag from the K-cup box. The part of the tag cut from the outside of the box needed to be covered up, so I opened up my scrap paper box, cut a tag out of scrap paper, and adhered it to the printed side of the chipboard. I then used a small strip for the front to match too. The front side is where I can write notes, etc., to the person receiving the gift. I tied this particular tag to the gift with matching divine twine. The recipient will then have some twine for their own stash too!

And here is a small stack of the Tim Holtz tags. I will store them in my antique unit shown in the same photo. The slots are 2 1/2" wide so they will be perfect for holding tags.

Of course, this type of chipboard can be used to die cut any shape but right now my need it always tags. I hope you will look carefully at the chipboard coming into your home. Maybe you can make a stash of tags, flowers, leaves, hearts, etc. You get the idea! Blessings, and thanks for stopping by!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #105

2012-01-19T03:41:00.001-06:00

As I think about a "Sharing the Gospel" class I will teach in February, it made me think that we should share in our journals:

**How comfortable are you in sharing the gospel with others?

Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace."

If you want to read a great book about the gospel message, "What is the Gospel" by Greg Gilbert is an excellent read! Also, to see all of our previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please look here. Thanks for stopping by, and happy journaling! Blessings to you,

{HSCRC12} Hymn #2, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

2012-01-15T09:58:00.001-06:00

*Note: To see the winners of the Hymn and Scripture Challenge, please click here. :)

Hymn Challenge #2: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Written by: Helen Lemmel
b. Nov. 14, 1864; d. Nov. 1, 1961

Helen Lemmel was born to a Methodist pastor's family in Wardle, England, which is a village in the Greater Manchester area. When she was 12 years old, Helen Lemmel and her family moved to the United States where she lived in Mississippi and Wisconsin. Later, she became a famous soloist, gave concerts in many churches, and then taught voice lessons at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

In 1918, Helen Lemmel received a tract from a missionary friend. The tract was written by Lilias Trotter, and it was entitled "Focused." The pamphlet contained these words: "So then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness." These words deeply affected her, and she was later quoted as saying "Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody. The verses were written the same week, after the usual manner of composition, but none the less dictated by the Holy Spirit."

Helen Lemmel wrote more than 500 hymns and authored a children's book titled "Story of the Bible"! For the most in-depth study of Helen Lemmel that I was able to find, please click here.

So, first before we begin, I know many of you love to hear when God confirms our study. Last night our church service was amazing. Well, one of the very last hymns played for the evening was . . . yes, you guessed it "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." I sat in the pew so very excited as I knew this was the hymn we were to study. This was also the hymn I used to sing to my girls every night before going to bed. God is so good to always lead me and show me with such fun confirmations! Now onto the rest of our study.

Where do you turn in times of trouble? Where do you turn in times of joy? How about distress, celebration, sadness, etc.? Can you say you keep your eyes fixed on Him in all things? Do others see Him in you? Is God your priority? Are you seeking His attention or others?

Your answers to these questions will certainly depend on whether or not you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This hymn tells us "there's light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free"! Salvation is for everyone, and when God says everyone, He means every single person on this earth! He wants everyone to turn to Him and be saved including you! Isaiah 45:22 says "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Life with Him and turning to Him in all things truly makes your life freeing and gives you a peace which no one can truly understand. Philippians 4:7 says "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Don't you want that for yourself? Is He drawing you to Himself? Oh how I pray for each of you that do not know Him! Answer Him if He is calling! It will be the greatest gift you will ever receive! Please e-mail me with questions. I am more than happy to share Christ with you!

And if you have been saved by the blood of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ, then you are to set your hearts on things above and to share Him with others. Do your actions show that you focus on Him and that you are a new creation of the King? Do people see Christ when they look at you or do they see someone that is always in a "tizzy" over everything? As I was trying to finish up writing this study, I also had another task looming over my head that had to be completed the same day and would take hours to complete. The puppy continually wanted outside, there was a lot of noise in the household, and my mind was reeling with the thoughts of all that had to be done. It was about to consume me. Panic was going to set in. God was letting me live this lesson. Did I want my family to see frustration, panic, and anger or did I want them to see Jesus? Of course, I wanted them to see Jesus but it was really, really hard. I had to focus my entire being on Christ or I would have lost it. I am sure many of you have had very similar experiences. It's not fun but by focusing on God and truly giving it all to Him, it is doable!

Mark 10:27 "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

So in the hard times, the deadlines, the celebrations set your hearts on things above, and just as the hymn tells us ". . . the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

Colossians 3:1-3 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

What a great promise, and what a way to tackle everything in life! So, will you turn to Him in all things? Your faith must not only believe God but your faith should also be visible to others. People are watching! I love how my Life Application Bible study notes put it "To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us. We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep Him in sight." I knew I would stumble with all of my commitments if I didn't focus on Him. So will you remember to fix your eyes upon Jesus in all things?

Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Below you will find the sheet music to "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." Make sure you look at the links I have included for you below the hymn.

Click here to read the words of this hymn.

Click here to listen to a beautiful version of this hymn by Selah. Close your eyes, enjoy the harmony, and listen to the words.

For my 5x7 page today, I used the Hebrews 12:2 verse listed above from the ODBD set called Cross of Christ. The hymn comes from a hymnal I have on hand. I copied it, colored the printer paper in Tim Holtz Distress Stain antique linen, and then I tore the edges and attached it to my page.

Papers: Memory Box Minuet, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Cross of Christ
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink faded jeans and walnut stain
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Distress Stain antique linen and weathered wood, Deluxe Designs scalloped square chipboard, Hug Snug hand-dyed seam binding, Prima leaves, flower from Wild Orchid Crafts, Maya Road kraft envelope, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous study, please see this post here. So, how have you turned to God and how has it effected you? Maybe you are not led to write a hymn as Helen Lemmel did but God has great plans for you if you will continue to focus on Him in all things! Blessings to you as you study in the week ahead!

{Hymn and Scripture Challenge} Giveaway Winners

2012-01-15T05:37:00.003-06:00

Good morning everyone! I wanted to go ahead and post the Hymn and Scripture Challenge Giveaway Winners this morning before diving into a busy Sunday. If you missed what will be given away, please visit this post here. So without waiting any further, here are the winning numbers that random.org picked:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
12
4
19
Timestamp: 2012-01-15 11:21:39 UTC

And those winning numbers are:

#12
Jasmine said...
I have fallen in love with this challenge, Patter. Even as a child I loved singing hymns and that continues today... It has been wonderful completing the challenge with my Ma {nancyparker55} and I look forward to continuing it throughtout the year! Thanks so much!
Jasmine
January 8, 2012 9:13 PM

#4
Tonya W said...
WOW!!!! Patter you are such a blessing and I am so humbled by your obedience. You are an amazing writer -- thank you for sharing this post and giving us this challenge. What a perfect way to worship God - through hymns and scriptures!!!!!!!!
January 8, 2012 12:14 PM

#19
Lavonne said...
Thanks for starting this new study with hymns. I wish hymns were sung more than they are. I really miss hearing them!
January 9, 2012 2:39 PM

Huge congrats everyone! Please e-mail your snail mail address to me so that I can get your prizes off to you. I am not going to tell you which prize you will receive. I always think it's more fun to see when you open the package. I hope you think so too! :)

And lastly, the Hymn and Scripture Challenge will be posted later today. For any of you that see this post early, could you please pray for my time management today? I woke up to an e-mail asking me to do something very early tomorrow morning, and there is a lot of prep involved. My day is packed, so expanded time would be much appreciated! Thank you all for your prayers and your faithfulness to studying His word! Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #104

2012-01-12T04:38:00.000-06:00

As we start a new year, I am once again thinking about how best to keep track of prayer requests. I have created several things--journals, prayer box, etc.--but each time I find they don't always work out over time. It drives me crazy. I have a new idea that I am going to try, and I will share later but for today, please journal:

*How do you keep track of all of the prayer requests you receive?

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Feel free to share in the comment section too if you would like. Some of us might just need your ideas. :) Also, to see all of our previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please look here. I pray that you have a blessed weekend ahead!

{Hymn and Scripture Challenge} Giveaway & Questions Answered

2012-01-08T07:27:00.001-06:00

First, I am so excited to see all of the lovely pages pouring in from the first study published last week. There are so many beautiful stories and pages. I love reading them all! And glad to see several of you needed tissues as you watched the Wintley Phipps video. I am glad I am not the only one that cries through that! If you missed the first study, you can see it here and join in at any time! We would be blessed to have you!

And remember, to see ALL of the information on this study including sharing in your churches, on your blog, etc., be sure to read this post here! Thank you!

Questions Answered
I have had a few questions since my post last week so I thought I would address them here. Many have asked about the book I am using. I am using "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert Morgan (see below). Yes, there are at least 3 or 4 different versions of this book. I may be using all versions. I will be choosing the hymn first as God leads me. Then in whatever book contains the hymn, I will read some of the history. I know some of you wanted to purchase the books but I am not using any one exclusively. They are just an aid.

Robert Morgan also has a book called "Near to the Heart of God" which contains stories about each of 366 hymns and information on the writer and lyrics of the hymn. This book may be of help to some of you also. Christianbook.com has this book (slightly imperfect) for $5.99. They also have an eBook version for $2.39. The Kindle book version is $1.79 on amazon.com if you have a Kindle. :) I have the slightly imperfect version, and it looks brand new to me. I can't find a thing wrong with it. :)

I will actually be using many resources to put together the studies but the books listed above will be my "go to" along with the Bible. You do not need to purchase a thing for this study! I will always include online resources for you to look at just as I did last week.

If you have questions, you can ask them in the comment section of each study, and I will answer there so others can see. You can also always e-mail me. I hope this is helpful. :)

Giveaways!
Now onto the fun stuff. Today I am giving away 3 RAKs. You must leave a comment in this post stating something about how the study has helped you thus far, what you are looking forward to as you study this year, how you pray God will grow you as you study, or whatever. Leave your comment in this post by next Saturday, January 14th, at 11:59 p.m. Central, and I will have random.org choose 3 winners to be announced in the next study. Here are the 3 RAKs you may win:

Wintley Phipps CD
After my father sent me Mr. Phipps YouTube video on Amazing Grace, I knew I had to have a few of his albums. They have not disappointed! I bought an extra, and I thought I would share it with one reader today. Here is the album someone will receive:

Book
This is one of the books I will be using. I have an extra to give away. There is also a CD included of the hymns.

Album
This is an album I had made by Pam of Heart of Texas Studio. She teaches at the same store where I teach Memory Box classes. Anyway, I purchased the license plate, and then she turned it into a 3-ring album. They are amazing. I had several done even out of my old license plate from South Carolina. They will truly make fun albums. Click the link listed above, and you can see more information or have your own album made. I hope someone can use this one below and enjoy it!

So, let me know if you have more questions, and be sure to leave a comment so that you are entered to win one of the gifts above. Thanks for stopping by, and have a blessed week ahead!

New {ODBD} Scrapbook Challenge!

2012-01-03T06:00:00.031-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are excited about joining us for a new ODBD Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge! We would love to see many of you play this month! For the challenge, I used a photo from our Hawaii trip. I thought it would be fun! So, your scrapbook challenge for January is to: create a layout of any size and any theme using ODBD stamps and this photo as inspiration. Use any or all of the colors. Feel free to add basic colors such as brown, black, or white, and have fun with it!

I chose to create an 8x8 layout using the blues from the inspiration photo. This is a photo of my sister, my mom, and myself on Christmas day. I decided to change the photo to sepia colors for the layout. I also used several of the new ODBD releases for January: God's Love, 2-Step Butterflies, and the Butterfly 2 die. They were just perfect for this page.

Papers: Memory Box Minuet, Creative Imaginations, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: God's Love, 2-Step Butterflies
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain and weathered wood
Embellishments: Our Daily Bread Designs Butterfly 2 die, Sizzix Flower Layers #8 die, Cuttlebug seeing spots embossing folder, Paper Trey Ink button and twine, Zva Creative flourishes, Stickles cinnamon, sewing machine

So, come join us and play along in the January challenge with a chance to win a $15 gift certificate! To see all of the challenge guidelines, see my ODBD post here. The challenge runs through Tuesday, January 31st, at 6 p.m. Eastern. Have fun, and we can't wait to see what you create. Blessings,

{HSCRC12} Hymn #1, Amazing Grace

2012-01-01T14:51:00.000-06:00

Hymn Challenge #1: Amazing Grace

Written by: John Newton
b. July 24, 1725; d. December 21, 1807

John Newton was a British sailor who became involved in the slave trade and later became a clergyman. On March 9, 1748, John Newton was caught in a terrible storm on the high seas. The next day he cried out to the Lord asking Him to deliver him from the deep waters though his true conversion did not happen until some time later. He eventually became a powerful evangelical preacher and wrote over 280 hymns. For a more indepth study of John Newton, please see: (click each title)

*John Newton, a Legacy of Faithfulness
*John Newton on Wikipedia

I can't think of a better way to start our year than to look at the grace that God lavishes on those He saves through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. John Newton said it best when he said at the end of his life, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior"

So what is grace? Why did John Newton feel so compelled to write about God's amazing grace? Grace is God's love to the utterly undeserving. God's grace is a gift to us. It's not anything we can earn or work towards. That means we don't love people just because we are trying to get something from them or get something from God. That means we don't serve in the church because we think it will help us earn our way into heaven. Only God can save us, and the only way to receive His gracious gift of salvation is by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ paid the price for our sins through His substitutionary death on the Cross. Christ paid the price we deserve. In grace, God sees us where we are and gives us what we don't deserve.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—-not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 1:6-7 "To the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace."

As Christians, God, through His grace, accepts us because we belong to His precious Son. We don't deserve His acceptance or His love that He lavishes on us but He graciously offers it to us.

1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."

So, do you know God's amazing grace for yourself? If not, why not? Will you not only accept the gift of His Son but unwrap it and live fully for Him? If you do know His amazing grace, how about your family members and friends? How might God have you share the gift with them this year? And how are you extending grace to others through kind gestures, forgiveness, a pleasant surprise, a smile and loving words when least expected, etc.? How can you bless someone this week by extending God's grace to them? God meets us where we are, and He wants us to meet others where they are with compassion. Pray about ways you can do that.

Below you will find the sheet music to "Amazing Grace." I encourage you to click the link to enlarge and truly read through the words of the hymn. So many truths in this beautiful hymn!

Click here to see hymn in large print form, and click here to listen to the hymn.
Click here to listen to Wintley Phipps talk about Amazing Grace and sing--be blessed and grab the tissues!!

So just as John Newton told of God's grace through his hymns and from the pulpit, we too are called to tell others of His good news. His grace also allows us to apply the truths from His Word so that we might live lives transformed and for His glory. How are you doing that?

For my page today, I created a 5x7 page to fit on the 7Gypsies Photo Display. I do not use the page protectors that come with the display. I find them flimsy so instead I use the WRMK 5x7 Raw Goods Page Protectors. The only downside is that by hanging them vertically, they are open on the entire right-hand side. So, what I am going to do is sew down the side. Our Daily Bread Designs has many perfect stamp sets for "grace." There is even an "Amazing Grace Bundle" set which includes 3 different stamps sets perfect for our study today. I chose to use the "Amazing Grace Hymn" stamp along with "Grow in Grace" and "Scripture Collection 2" since it contained the Ephesians 2:8 verse listed above.

Papers: October Afternoon Farmhouse, Creative Imaginations, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 2, Amazing Grace Hymn, Grow in Grace
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain, VersaFine vintage sepia
Embellishments: Dew Drops cowboy, Doodlebug baker's twine, Sizzix Flower Layers #8 die, leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts, Paper Trey Ink button and twine, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this new challenge, please visit this post here. And to bookmark the study links for easy reference throughout this year, please look here. I hope you will join me and spread the word. I am excited to begin this new study and year with you! Happy New Year and may your year be blessed as you study His word!

Hymn and Scripture Challenge 2012 Study Links

2012-01-01T14:44:00.002-06:00

This year as we study, I will update this page with a link to each challenge hymn for easy reference! You may want to bookmark this link. Studies will be posted usually by 5 p.m. Central time every other Sunday. This will be your one resource page for the entire year's study! I hope this is helpful to you! Blessings,

Hymn and Scripture Challenge 2012 Study Information (Click for complete information on the study. I would love for you to join us at any time!)

2012 Hymn and Scripture Challenge Links:
Challenge 1: Amazing Grace
Challenge 2:  Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Challenge 3:  to post January 29
Challenge 4:  to post February 12
Challenge 5:  to post February 26
Challenge 6:  to post March 11
Challenge 7:  to post March 25
Challenge 8:  to post April 8
Challenge 9: to post April 22
Challenge 10: to post May 6
Challenge 11: to post May 20
Challenge 12: to post June 3
Challenge 13: to post June 17
Challenge 14: to post July 1
Challenge 15: to post July 15
Challenge 16: to post July 29
Challenge 17: to post August 12
Challenge 18: to post August 26
Challenge 19: to post September 9
Challenge 20: to post September 23
Challenge 21: to post October 7
Challenge 22: to post October 21
Challenge 23: to post November 4
Challenge 24: to post November 18
Challenge 25: to post December 2
Challenge 26: to post December 16

Crochet {Creations}

2011-12-23T03:18:00.001-06:00

Today I thought I would show you some crochet items I have been working on. First, I must show you my absolute favorite yarn for afghans and scarfs. It's from Hobby Lobby, and ironically the name is "Pitter Patter" yarn. :) It comes in many colors--solids and variegated. For each of the afghans I am making, I will use the variegated yarn for the body of the blanket and a solid color for the edging.

The pattern I am using is from the "The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need" (Leisure Arts #4225) book. You can find it on amazon.com here. I am making four afghans right now, and all four are in various stages. These afghans are for my daughters, and they chose each chose the yarn they wanted. Here is a close-up photo of the stitches. It's a combination of chains, single crochet, and double crochet. Super easy and fast to do. I have the pattern memorized too which makes it so easy to take this on the road with me. And look how soft this yarn is! Oh my, if you are in Hobby Lobby, you just need to grab a skein and touch it! :)

This afghan is finished. I just need to add the border which will be a solid green. The true color of the afghan is in the close-up photo above. Not sure why it photographed funny when I took a photo of the whole thing.

This afghan I just started a couple of weeks ago since my daughter finally found the yarn she loves. I will crochet the border in a deep purple to finish the edges.

This afghan is complete also. I just need to do the border on this one. This border will be done in solid brown.

This afghan is about half way done. Not sure what color I will use for the border yet. Since I am partial to pink, I may go with a solid pink. :)

And here is a scarf using the same stitch that I made for one of my girls at her request. It was a very quick scarf to make. I made it in a matter of hours. I used the same pattern I am using for the afghans. The only difference was that I just chained 19 stitches for the width and then made it 68" long--which is plenty long for us shorties!

I hope you have enjoyed these. I am truly enjoying crocheting each night as we have family time. I am always too tired to do anything else, and this works great when sitting with the family! Have a Merry Christmas, and see you after the holiday! Blessings,

Art {Journaling} A Tree

2011-12-22T11:28:00.000-06:00

Note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} prompt, please click here or scroll down one post. :)

If you saw my post last week, you know that I am taking a sketch class with Alisa Burke. If you missed that, see my post here. Well, part of my homework was to look for things in my neighborhood to sketch. As I was walking our puppy this morning, one of the neighbor's yards had a metal Christmas tree in it with colorful balls on it. It was quite whimsical and cute. So, since I don't sketch, I figured I could try a triangle and some circles. So, here is what came of my sketching:

Supplies Used: Sakura Koi watercolors, Sharpie poster paint white, Pentel Ener-Gel pen

And I am so embarrassed I am even sharing this with you. It looks like a Kindergarten drawing but oh well. It was a fun process, and now I have a journaling page all about seeing this as I took Kody for a walk today. I doubt sketching will be my "life time" style but it will certainly be a fun addition to my regular art journaling pages!

Thanks for looking, and have a blessed Christmas!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #103

2011-12-22T03:52:00.014-06:00

Earlier in the week as I thought about favorite Christmas gifts received, I realized that one of my most favorite gifts over the years was not an actual present that I unwrapped. When I was a Children's Leader in BSF, there were identical twins in my 3 year old class. These precious boys gave me one of the most amazing gifts I have ever received--they sat beside their mother and recited all of the scripture they had learned in the year. I cried buckets, and it is a memory I truly cherish. So today,

*What is one of the best Christmas gifts that you have received?

Matthew 2:11 "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."

Also, if you would like to see the gift I made for my aunt using all of my {Faith Journaling} questions, please see my Memory Box post here. I pray she likes it! Also, to see all of our previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please look here. I pray that each of you has a joyous and Merry Christmas! Blessings,

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #26}, Zeal

2011-12-18T15:11:00.000-06:00

Challenge Word #26: Zeal

Zeal: fervor for a person; enthusiastic diligence; intensity; passion

In the Bible, you will find a lot about God’s zeal but today I wanted to focus on our zeal for God. So, first, think about when you began this challenge. Maybe you began in January when we started this year. Maybe you began in 2008 with my first Scripture Challenge. What was your zeal for the Lord like when you began? Can you say it has increased today as we dive into our last word for this year? Or is your zeal for the Lord about the same as when you started these studies? Has your passion or eager desire to follow God increased? Do you have such zeal for Him that you are willing to protect His name? I know I pray that your answers to these questions are that your zeal for Him has increased and that you have a hunger and thirst to study and serve Him even more.

**Our zeal for the Lord should consume us, and we grieve when He is insulted.
Psalm 69:9 "For zeal for Your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult You fall on me."

**Our desire to glorify Him in all things should wear us out.
Psalm 119:139-140 "My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them."

**We need to know God and follow His will for us and not just step into the unknown.
Proverbs 19:2 "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way."

**In any work we do, we need to do it with zeal and remember that as Christians, we are servants of the Lord.
Romans 12:11 "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

**The Bible is God’s true word and all teachings must line up with His Word.
Galatians 4:17 "Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them."

**Zeal is good as long as it is for a good cause.
Galatians 4:18 "It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you."

So, what does your zeal for the Lord look like?

For my page today, I chose papers from October Afternoon. I loved the chair paper as it went so well with the Bible image from the Our Daily Bread Designs set called ‘The Word of God’. It makes me think of sitting down to study His Word to know Him more, to learn His will for me, to meditate on who He is, to know truth, etc. The scripture comes from the ODBD set called ‘Scripture Collection 3’. I wanted to add the Romans 12:11 verse from above as it was so perfect but I didn’t have room. Oh well. And before I forget, ODBD is having a huge sale (some sets 30% off). Look here for more information!

Papers: October Afternoon Farmhouse, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 3, The Word of God
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink pumice stone and black soot
Embellishments: Thickers jewelry box, Prima flower, Sakura Koi watercolors, Spellbinders Labels 3, Tim Holtz Alterations scallops die and tiny attacher, Memory Box index card die, misc. baker's twine

Remember to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online 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 if you haven’t seen the information on my 2012 study, please be sure to look at my post here. I hope you will join us beginning January 1st, and I truly pray that you have enjoyed this year's ABC Scripture Challenge! Blessings to each of you and Merry Christmas!

Art {Journaling} Sketching!

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Note: To see today's Faith {Journaling} question, please scroll down to the next post or click here.

So, did you think I had given up on art journaling? I know I haven't posted in a while but I have been absolutely swamped. Most of you know that from previous posts. Well, now that I have a 3 week break for the holidays, I am taking a sketch class with Alisa Burke and getting back into the mixed media fun that I miss so much! Now if my mother or my sister read this, they will probably laugh because I am NOT the one in the family that can draw--my sister is the most amazing artist! God didn't bless me with sketching skills; that's my sister's gift. Well, I know sketching will help me in my art journaling so I thought I would dive into the art I am scared of the most--sketching.

Now, Alisa's class is not one that is going to tell me step-by-step how to draw something but she is going to help me discover what I can do. Everyone is different in how they approach sketches so what I think is dreadful may just be my style. LOL!

After the first week of class, here is what I have done thus far: I have made swatches of pens, pencils, watercolors, markers, etc., trying to find what I like best and how they work together. Here are some sample pages:

I am using my favorite Strathmore Visual Journal. I am using a 5 1/2" x 8" size journal instead of the 9"x12" size that I am using for my art journal pages. I figure I could never sketch on a larger page--not yet anyway.

So far I have found that I love my new Koi Watercolors. Oh wow! They are amazing and so portable!

And they don't have to be used just for art journaling. I used them on a card yesterday for Memory Box.

I even shared step-by-step instructions if you want to see how I created the card--just see my post here for that. :)

Well, whether your are great at sketching or horrible like me, I highly recommend you just try it. So far I am really having fun! I couldn't even believe I could draw a shell. Wow! Anyway, be sure to check out Alisa's blog too to see her amazing work and sketchbook. Now there's awesome inspiration! Have a blessed day, and thanks for stopping by!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #102

2011-12-15T05:42:00.006-06:00

As the Christmas cards begin pouring in, I thought it would be fun this week to share:

**What do you love the most about receiving Christmas cards each year, and what do you do with them after Christmas is over?

Luke 2:11-12 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Enjoy each card that you receive! To see all of our previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please look here. Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #101

2011-12-08T09:02:00.001-06:00

I found this great Christmas scripture reading plan on Pinterest. Gosh that place is full of great stuff. Anyway, I wondered if you have any scripture reading traditions during this Christmas season. So today, please share:

**Do you have a Christmas scripture reading plan that you follow each year with your family? Describe it.

Luke 2:11-12 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Enjoy the season, and remember, it's all about Him! To see all of our previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please look here. Blessings,

Week 1 {ODBDLYLS12} Scrapbook Challenge

2011-12-06T06:00:00.012-06:00

Happy December everyone! A new month means a new scrapbook challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs. I hope you are as excited as I am. And because December is a busy time of year and sketches are so easy and fun, we decided to challenge you to another sketch challenge this month! So your scrapbook challenge for December is to: create a layout of any size using ODBD stamps and the sketch below. Have fun with it! Turn it, add more than two photos, make a journaling box, etc. There are lots of fun things you can do with a sketch.

I left the sketch "as is" but used one collage photo instead of two separate photos. I created my own background paper using the new ODBD Honeycomb Background along with the Mega Mount. The Mega Mount makes stamping backgrounds a piece of cake! I then used the Blessed Christmas set for the title and poinsettia on the bottom right-hand corner of my page.

Papers: Melissa Frances Deck the Halls, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Blessed Christmas, Honeycomb Background
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks aged mahogany, frayed burlap, fired brick, peeled paint, and mustard seed; Archival Ink coffee
Tools: Mega Mount
Embellishments: Spellbinders large deckled rectangles, Paper Trey Ink buttons, misc. twine, Tim Holtz distressed doily die, Basic Grey writer's block tags, misc. ric rac, sewing machine

I hope you have enjoyed my page today. Suzanne, our guest designer, is also sharing a layout using this sketch so be sure to see Suzanne's blog post here. And to see all of the guidelines and to join in the fun with the chance to win a $20 gift certificate, please see the ODBD post here. You have all month to enter, and we can't wait to see your pages! Have a blessed day, and happy scrappin'!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #25}, Yield

2011-12-04T02:56:00.003-06:00

Challenge Word #25: Yield

How often do you yield to God’s desire for you? Do you push ahead with your own plan or yield to what He has for you each day? Do you look for the opportunities He puts before you? God gave me our word for this week on Friday as I was at the grocery store. Of course I was in a huge hurry, and I had my own plans for the day—one of which was to get in and out of the grocery store quickly. But God had other plans. I could only yield to His desires and set mine aside. At first I was on the cereal row wondering why I have been so tired and grumpy. I was also telling God that I wanted my joy back. Then I headed over to the produce section, and as I was standing in front of the red peppers I was approached by a lady. The conversation went like this:

Stranger: Hey, how are you today? I am here buying carrots for my rabbits.
Me: Hi, I am fine thanks. I am buying peppers for my parrots.
Stranger: Hey, have you heard that eating red pepper can raise your metabolism?
Me: Yes, I have heard about that.
Stranger: Do you believe it?
Me: Yes, I think it probably does help.
Stranger: Well, you wouldn’t have to worry about it as you don’t have a weight issue.
Me: Well, as a matter of fact, I just lost 48 lbs.
Stranger: You did! Wow, how did you do that?
Me: Weight Watchers and God has helped me to continue to eat right with a scripture.
Stranger: Really? What scripture?
Me: 1 Corinthians 10:23
Stranger: Well, what does that say?
Me: “All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial.” So, I can eat whatever I want but eating too much of it is not beneficial. I still have my real ice cream every night.
Stranger: Wow, that is really interesting. Something to put on Facebook.

I ended up talking to this woman for 15 minutes and inviting her to Bible study. She has 3 boys—two of which are twins—funny we both have multiples and “different” pets. Of course God already knew that! I had SO much to do but God showed me between the cereal row and the produce section that He has the plan, He wastes nothing, and that He is my joy. He completely restored my love and joy for Him all in the space of a few rows in the grocery store but the key was that I had to yield to His leading. Had I not followed through and listened to His leading, I would have missed the joy and the blessing He had for me.

Psalm 85:11-13 “Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.”

He alone led me to share but I also had to give Him the glory. Isaiah 48:11b says “. . . I will not yield my glory to another.”

He will not yield His glory to anyone or anything else. All glory and honor belongs to Him. I couldn’t give Weight Watchers the credit. It is only God that has kept me straight and losing weight every single week since I began on May 10, 2011.

So, how will you yield to the Lord? How will you let Him use what He has done for you to glorify His name? Will you listen to that indwelling Holy Spirit and yield as He leads instead of pressing on with your own agenda? I encourage you to follow Him and don’t miss the opportunity to be blessed where He may lead you!

For my page today, I used the Psalm 85:11-12 passage quoted above. The two verses are in two different stamps sets by Our Daily Bread Designs—Scripture Collection 6 and Harvest Blessings. I used the number and month tags to remind me that I need to yield to God and His will each and every day. The tags are found in the Cosmo Cricket Odds & Ends pack.

Papers: Cosmo Cricket Odds & Ends, Memory Box Moroccan latte, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 6, Harvest Blessings
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink library green, Tim Holtz Distress Ink frayed burlap, Ranger clear ep
Embellishments: Spellbinders oval square label die, Glimmer Mist sugar cookie used to dye Hug Snug (seam binding), Tim Holtz tiny attacher, flower from Wild Orchid Crafts, Basic Grey flower embossing folder, sewing machine

As you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online 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, if you missed the announcement for the 2012 study, be sure to check out this link here. So, will you yield your heart to the Lord today as He leads? Blessings,

Some {Memory Box} Fun!

2011-12-01T06:33:00.000-06:00

Note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} post, please click here or scroll down one post!

It seems it has been a long while since I have shared my Memory Box creations. So, today I thought I would share some Memory Box Christmas ideas. Just click on the name of the item, and it will take you to the post with more details and close-up photos.

Dec. 25th

I hope you get some fun ideas. Have a blessed Thursday, and thanks for stopping by!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #100

2011-12-01T06:18:00.002-06:00

Wow, can you believe this is our 100th {Faith Journaling} question? Awesome! Are you keeping up? Anyway, this week and next week, we have many rehearsals and performances for our orchestra Christmas Concert and then our orchestra Christmas Cantata. It is a busy time but I always end up crying during our last performance. It is so beautiful and all the glory belongs to God! So, as we begin this busy Christmas season:

**In what way do you participate in Christmas performances at your church? Are you an audience member or a participant? Describe the performance and how it effects you?

Psalm 98:4 "Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music."

Enjoy the season, and remember, it's all about Him! To see all of our previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please look here. Blessings,

Tuesday's {Tip} Need a Christmas Card Template?

2011-11-29T06:43:00.000-06:00

Okay, first, don't be upset with me when you hear that I do not make my Christmas cards. :) I am so busy, and the "assembly line" thing has never interested me. And in defense of myself, the kids love helping stuff, stamp, seal, etc., the pictures and Christmas letter I write each year. Okay, so now you know that I don't make Christmas cards. What I usually do is create a photo of some sort in Photoshop Elements, and then I write a Christmas letter to go with it. This year, I found some GREAT Christmas card templates. There are several so I could save them all to use in the years ahead. Let's look at what I found through a post on 2Peas.

The ones that are free for your use are from Rebecca Cooper, and they are amazing! You can find this year's templates here. There are 3 of them to choose from. And if you look here, you will find last year's templates along with many other links to free Christmas card templates. So, you have even more to choose from! Lots of great ones to use or save for later use! Thanks Rebecca for such wonderful templates!

Here is the one I chose and how I changed it for our family. These are photos of the kiddos that I loved from this year. Shhhh, don't let my family and friends know I posted this. This is part of what they will be receiving in the mail this year. :)

Oh, and I had them printed at scrapbookpictures.com. I ordered them last Monday, and got them 4 days later!!! I picked the deep matte option, and wow, do I LOVE that!

So, I hope you are able to find a Christmas card template you love. Enjoy putting it together, and have a blessed Tuesday.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the ODBD November Scrapbook Challenge! You have until tomorrow night to get your pages in! I would love to see many, many entries this month! Who doesn't want the chance to win a $20 gift certificate to ODBD? The December releases are a must have, and that GC would be able to help you get the new stamps (see a sneak peak here). :)

Announcing {Hymn & Scripture Challenge} for 2012

2011-11-25T14:23:00.007-06:00

Since we do not have a post for this weekend, I wanted to share where the Lord has led me for 2012. Some of you have asked, and I know I certainly have been asking the Lord too. And just as last year, He wasn't clearly calling me to stop these challenges, so I will continue on. They are a blessing to me, and I certainly pray they have been for you too! One thing He has showed me recently is how many truths are in old hymns. I love old hymns, and I am always singing a hymn. How about you? Have you seen God's truths in hymns?

This year I will be using a book called "Then Sings My Soul" to find the hymns we will use. I will also use my hymnal but this particular book has information on the author of the hymn and background on the writing of the hymn.

There is also a scripture reference for each hymn. I will then use the scripture reference to prepare a study over the scripture and truths from the hymn. Our study will always be taken back to the Bible.

There are several different versions of this book, and each book contains different hymns. I have 3 of these books. You can search on "Then Sings My Soul" on amazon.com, and all of the versions should come up. I have seen many used editions going for $1.39-$3.59. You by no means need one of these books for the study. The Bible is the only thing you need. I will be posting parts of each hymn too in each study. At some point in the study, I may be "RAKing" a book or two. :) Be on the lookout! I also hope many of you will continue this year and that many more will join in too! Now let's look at the details.

Album, ATC, Cards--What Will You Use?
So, what will you use for your album this year? What have you used in the past? Maybe you are new to these challenges and would like some ideas. Here is what I have used in all of the past challenges. Please feel free to click on the link (title) to each challenge to see that year's study.

2008 Scripture Challenge
*ATCs
2009 His Holy Name Challenge
*6x6 Pages in D-ring Album

2010 Scripture Challenge
*6x6 Pages on a Wooden Stand

2011 ABC Scripture Challenge
*5x6 Pages on 7Gypsies Photo Carousel

Of course, if you are doing pages, you can create any size and use any album you want! You can do hybrid or digi pages, or you can also create cards and mail to people. You can create anything you wish. These are just ideas! I am not exactly sure yet what I will use for this 2012 study. I will post when I decide. :)

If You Participate, Do You Have to Create Something?
Absolutely not! :) You can just study God's Word and keep notes. You do not have to create a thing! I personally love the creating part and someday my kids can have these pages too as part of my faith legacy. For those of you not creating pages, etc., you may just want to keep a journal of each hymn and scripture along with your study notes.

What if You Want to Study with People at Church?
Wonderful! Please do have them study along. However, I ask that you not copy my work. I also ask that you have the participants print the study directly from my blog post each time. It takes me many, many hours to prepare these studies, and they are inspired by the Lord. The studies are copyrighted, and I pray that you respect that. Thank you! For more information, please see the section below titled "Will this challenge be hosted on other sites? What about posting on my own blog?"

Now let me share a bit about how this challenge will work.
**I will post a study every other Sunday beginning January 1, 2012. Mark your calendars, and see the entire 2012 calendar below! :)
**Challenges will be posted usually by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on challenge Sundays.
**My post will also share some thoughts, the hymn, and scripture or scriptures that I chose (usually from the NIV), and a picture of my page.
**Then you will study your Bible and find scriptures that are meaningful to you based on the study and truth posted for that week.
**I love using Biblegateway to look up single keywords in the Bible. It is a great resource for this study.
**Then you will create your page using your selected scripture/thoughts based on the study for that week.
**Feel free to look at previous studies linked above to get an idea of how this Hymn and Scripture Challenge will work.
**For more information, also see the Scripture Challenge {Study Resources} post here. You may find it helpful.

Is there a time limit to complete the challenge?
No, there is not a time limit to complete the challenge. This is for you so that you can study and learn to apply God's truths to your daily life! You do what you can when you can. On occasion, I may offer RAKs, and at those times there will be a deadline. Watch out for those. :) You may join this challenge at ANY time throughout the year!

Do I need to sign up?
No, you can just subscribe to my blog to get the updates.

Will this challenge be hosted on other sites? What about posting on my own blog?
No, you will only be able to find the challenge here on my blog. Please do not copy the post to other websites or your own blog. You may certainly link the study but do not copy the study. Feel free to post a quote but not the entire study. Remember, this study is copyrighted. Thank you! And make sure you subscribe to my blog if you haven't already. :) If you have friends that you think may be interested in joining us, feel free to send them the link to this post! For more information, please see the section above titled "What if You Want to Study with People at Church?"

Where can we share our work?
A lot of us will be sharing on our blogs and in various galleries such as Splitcoaststampers, 2Peas, Scrapbook.com, etc. Wherever you share, you can use this keyword and it will help others find your work more easily--HSCRC12. I will also use inlinkz.com for this challenge so that you can leave a link to your work here on my blog for others to see.

Is there a blinkie for this challenge?
Yes, but let's call it a button instead of a blinkie. :) It's a miniature version of the picture at the beginning of this post. I did not make one that blinks. It is a "stand alone" button. You will find it in the sidebar of my blog and below this paragraph. Right-click and save it to your computer to add to your blog. I also ask that you link it back to this post or my blog. Feel free to add it to message board signatures too. I hope you like it.

2012 Hymn and Scripture Challenge Schedule:
Challenge 1: January 1
Challenge 2: January 15
Challenge 3: January 29
Challenge 4: February 12
Challenge 5: February 26
Challenge 6: March 11
Challenge 7: March 25
Challenge 8: April 8
Challenge 9: April 22
Challenge 10: May 6
Challenge 11: May 20
Challenge 12: June 3
Challenge 13: June 17
Challenge 14: July 1
Challenge 15: July 15
Challenge 16: July 29
Challenge 17: August 12
Challenge 18: August 26
Challenge 19: September 9
Challenge 20: September 23
Challenge 21: October 7
Challenge 22: October 21
Challenge 23: November 4
Challenge 24: November 18
Challenge 25: December 2
Challenge 26: December 16

To see all of the current challenges thus far for 2012, please click here.

Whew, sorry this post got so long. Book mark it. It will be the "main information page" for the Hymn and Scripture Challenge. Please e-mail me if you have more questions, and I would love to know your thoughts on this upcoming challenge. Feel free to leave comments here! Blessings, and see you January 1st with our first hymn and study!

We Give Thanks To God {Special}

2011-11-24T07:00:00.002-06:00

First, I would like to say that I pray each of you have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving today! Even if you are in another country and do not celebrate Thanksgiving, I pray that your day is blessed and that you find time to share what you are thankful for today! In God's amazing grace, He blesses us with new mercies each day. Will you thank Him?

Now onto some fun! Are you ready for a sale? Well, Kelley at Our Daily Bread Designs is having a "We Give Thanks to God" sale. This will include 10% off and free shipping! Several of the design team members also created cards and layouts with the ODBD Give Thanks set for today. Here is my card using Distress Inks to paint the image:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg, Memory Box notecard
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Give Thanks
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink frayed burlap
Distress Inks for Coloring: fired brick, dusty concord, crushed olive, walnut stain, peeled paint, spiced marmalade, scattered straw, wild honey, antique linen
Embellishments: Spellbinders Labels 17 and Long Classic Scallop Rectangle, Sizzix woodgrain embossing folder, Paper Trey Ink button, misc. baker's twine, sewing machine

To see more details and the other designers' creations, please see this post on the ODBD blog. May you enjoy time with family and friends giving thanks to our precious Lord and Savior. Blessings,

Tuesday's {Tip} Need Color Inspiration?

2011-11-22T04:58:00.001-06:00

I found a great color inspiration site a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I would share it with you. It is called Design Seeds. Of course I found it through Pinterest, and I really love the features the site has. Look at this amazing palette:

This is just one of many amazing color palettes on the site. One feature on their site I love is their great search feature! You can search on color, season, or color collection. For instance, if you want to use pink on a layout, altered item, art journaling, crocheted blanket, anything, you would click on the color 'pink' and then all of the color palettes containing pink are shown. How awesome! They even have an iPhone/iPad app for $5.99. I haven't tried it but how fun to have color palettes on your phone or iPad.

I hope you enjoy today's tip. I suggest subscribing to the blog so that the Designs Seeds come directly to your e-mail box. That's what I do! Love it. Have a blessed Tuesday!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the ODBD Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge! We don't have any entries yet, and you can win a $20 gift certificate! Who would want to miss that opportunity! :)

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #24}, eXercise

2011-11-20T16:20:00.003-06:00

Note: To see the give away winner, please see this post here or scroll down to the next post. :)

Challenge Word #24: eXercise

How many of you love to eXercise? Even as a previous certified aerobics instructor, I can’t say I love to eXercise Doctors tell us that we must eXercise ‘x’ number of hours each week to stay healthy. Well, how about staying spiritually healthy and maturing spiritually? We need to eXercise our spiritual muscles, and we need to eXercise them daily not just ‘x’ days a week. Are you eXercising those spiritual muscles daily or are you a little weak in some areas? How do you measure up to the fruits of the Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

In what area do you need to grow? Ask God; He will show you. Things we can do daily to become spiritually healthy and to grow in our spiritual walk are to:

Love Him
Luke 10:27 “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us.”

Pray Continually
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Read, Hear, and Apply His Word
Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

His Strength not Ours
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Apply His Word to Your Life
Philippians 4:9 “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Witness
Isaiah 43:12 “I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.”

Serve
1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

Worship
Psalm 99:5 “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy.”

So as you go out today and the days ahead, be sure to put your faith into action by eXercising those spiritual muscles—get spiritually fit!

For my page today, I used two scripture that I thought were quite appropriate:

Micah 6:8 "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Deuteronomy 30:14 "The word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."

Those scriptures are from the ODBD sets Scripture Collection 2 and Scripture Series 2 respectfully. I also used the ODBD set called Time to stamp the background. I thought the clock was quite appropriate for our word today.

Papers: My Mind's Eye Rosy, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Time, Scripture Series 2, Scripture Collection 2
Stamp Ink: Jenni Bowlin brown sugar, Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain
Embellishments: Spellbinders eyelet circles, Memory Box loop border die, Memory Box pearls, Zva Creative pearls, October Afternoon mini market stickers, misc. ribbon

I pray that you will see eXercise in a new and enjoyable light! And remember as you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings,

Give Away Winners!

2011-11-20T15:41:00.001-06:00

Oh I can't tell you how I loved your comments about your favorite crafts. Some made me laugh, some sounded just like myself, and all of them were a joy to read! And now to share the winning comment. Random.org picked our winner, and here is the lucky number:

That number belongs to: Becky Dunham. Becky said:

"This afghan is going to be gorgeous Patter! I am like you - I crochet, knit, paper craft, paint, make jewelry - I want to try everything! I like to sew too but don't do much of it. In fact, my craft room is so full of stuff for my crafting hobbies that I don't have any room to work. Nor do I really have time for all of them! I have about 15 boxes of fabric - the big clear plastic boxes - and I have already given some of it away. I do landscape painting plein air with oils so those of course need their own special place so the oils don't get on anything else. Lately I have been doing nothing but paper crafting and I try to keep that stuff organized, but with as little room as I have, it is not easy. Now, that is not to say I don't want to win your fabulous goodies - I would love it! Thanks for the chance :)"

Congrats Becky! Please e-mail your address to me so that I can get your goodies off to you! I did find some other goodies to part with but I will save that for a give away at another time. Be watching, and thanks to all of you for posting! Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #99

2011-11-17T08:52:00.000-06:00

So this week I got to thinking about how much we drive back and forth to church. Sometimes it's quick, and sometimes it's not depending on traffic and time of day. So today:

*Describe your drive to church--how far, scenery, traffic, etc.

Genesis 22:4-5 "On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.'"

Have fun journaling this week, and remember, you can see all of the previous journaling questions in this post here. Blessings!

A Giveaway & Some Crochet!

2011-11-16T03:55:00.002-06:00

I have taken this week off to catch up on deadlines and to devote time to my house and family. It has been so crazy here that the Lord really put it on my heart that my family is my first ministry! Yesterday I completed many deadlines, and today I began work on cleaning my craft room. Funny how when I get busy it's so easy to "throw" instead of putting things away. I couldn't stand the mess any longer. I am not done but I am praying by morning I will be finished because other deadlines loom! So, today I have a few "off-the-wall" things for you. Let's see what I have:

First
Pinterest is dangerous. Yes, I say again, Pinterest is dangerous. Eeek! I have found my passion for crochet, sewing, cross stitch, paper crafting, etc., all over again. I want to do it all but of course there is not enough time. I found this amazing afghan on Pinterest, and Sunday night I sat down and started my first two circles. I have many colors to use (pinks, purples, blues, greens, teals, etc.), and I can't wait to see my circles pile up!

They are SUPER fast to make, and I am weaving in my ends as I complete each circle so I don't have to do them all at the end. Fun, fun!

Edited to Add:
Find the pattern here.
Find an AMAZING and free online crochet school here. You will not be disappointed!

Second
As I have been cleaning, I am finding things I have never used or barely used and have decided to part with them. So today, I have this to offer to one blessed reader:

There are 10 stamp sets by Stampin' Up and smART Works along with some Design Adhesives and glitter. All you have to do to enter to win is to tell me what crafts you like to do. Do you love them all like me? Do you have time for them all? What's your favorite? You have until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. Central time to leave your comment. The winner will be posted Sunday. And who knows, I may find more items to give away before Sunday and choose more than one winner. :)

So, enjoy your Wednesday, and as always, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you!

Week 2 {ODBDLYLS11} Scrapbook Challenge

2011-11-15T06:00:00.039-06:00

So, have you seen the new November scrapbook challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs? If not, your scrapbook challenge for November is to create a layout of any size and any theme using ODBD stamps and this photo as inspiration. Use any or all of the colors. Feel free to add basic colors such as brown, black, or white, and have fun with it!

Using the above photo, I created an 8x8 layout of my husband. This photo was actually taken on Christmas Day last year but I decided not to make this into a Christmas page. I really thought the photo looked like it could have been taken any time of year, and the colors were perfect for the color challenge. And the precious little puppy is my parent's adorable dog! Now that girl has some spunk!

To make the background on my page, I used the He Shall Be Called background stamp. Because background stamps can sometimes be hard to use, I also used the AWESOME acrylic block sold at ODBD called Mega Mount. Wow, does that make using background stamps super simple! I also used a scripture from the Scripture Collection 7 stamp set. The papers are My Mind's Eye Breeze and Sunshine.

Papers: My Mind's Eye Breeze and Sunshine, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: He Shall be Called, Scripture Collection 7
Stamp Ink: Jenni Bowlin brown sugar and seed packet
Tools: Mega Mount, Creative Memories 1" circle punch
Embellishments: Authentique Diction stickers, Making Memories acorn acrylic paint, misc. burlap, Paper Trey Ink buttons, Tim Holtz paper clip, sewing machine

To see more information, on the challenge and to join in with a chance to win a $20 gift certificate, please see this post here. The challenge runs through Wednesday, November 30th, at 6 p.m. Eastern. You can enter as many times as you like, and I hope you will join us! Have a blessed day, and happy scrappin'!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #98

2011-11-10T06:47:00.000-06:00

Okay, this past week as I was preparing to give lecture at BSF, I realized I have SO many Bibles. How blessed we are in the United States that we have such access to God's Wod. I have many different versions and many different study Bibles. I love them and use them all for different reasons. Have I counted them? Eeek, no! I might be embarrassed! So today I thought it would be fun to share:

*How many Bibles do you own? Why do you own the number that you have?

Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him."

I hope you enjoy looking at how you study and use God's Word. Be sure to see all of the previous journaling questions in this post here. Feel free to join us anytime. These journals will be a beautiful faith legacy to pass down someday. Blessing to each of you!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #23}, Weary

2011-11-06T05:00:00.003-06:00

Challenge Word #23: Weary

Have you ever felt so physically or mentally exhausted that you just wanted to stop everything around you and just do nothing? Do you ever just feel like giving up? I know I have many times and most recently was this past week.

On Saturday, I pulled out my Bible as I was working on something totally unrelated to this lesson, and God had me open up to Galatians 6. On that particular page in my Bible, I found two notes I had written on November 30, 2008, and September 5, 2009. God gave me the same scripture during both of those years. It was Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” God showed me how He helped me in both 2008 and 2009 with that scripture, and He again will help me this coming week as I still feel exhausted. I am also seeing a pattern that the Fall tends to bring a time of weariness to my life. Praise God He had me keep these notes in my Bible so that I could see that He was faithful then, and I can trust that He will be faithful now.

Have you seen how God has helped you when you have been weary in the past? Maybe you are weary now. Maybe you need a little encouragement. Cry out to Him, and remember the times He was faithful in the past because He will be faithful again! Endure patiently in confident hope but be sure to slow down and listen for Him. He does not grow weary; He strengthens us. His Spirit carries us along. Isaiah 40:28a “He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.” Praise God for His strength and unending patience.

For my page today, there were only a few scriptures to choose from. I searched on many different versions, and I still did not find many. I loved Psalm 138:3 which says "When I pray, You answer me! You encourage me by giving me the strength I need." That's what I need now--His strength. How about you? The scripture is from the ODBD set called "Scripture Collection 2." I also used the Mojo Monday 213 sketch. :)

Papers: Authentique Bundle, Memory Box Dots key lime, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 2
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink coffee, Jenni Bowlin brown sugar
Embellishments: Spellbinders lacey ovals, Heidi Swapp Center of Attention chip alpha, Zva Creative flourish, Hero Arts pearls, KaiserCraft pearls, Copic RV 95 (to color pearls), Hug Snug seam binding
Sketch: Mojo210

As you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here.

So, if you are weary, I encourage you to spend some time in His Word, in prayer, and let Him uphold you and give you the strength you need! Blessings to you!

Art {Journaling} Daily Notes

2011-11-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

Note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} prompt, please click here or scroll down one post. :)

Okay, so I found an idea on Pinterest that I LOVED! So, this week I am sharing my version of the daily journal. I have been so absolutely swamped here that this little sheet is all I have had time to do. I pray I keep it up because it will be fun to look at years later. It's not fancy, and it doesn't take much time at all!

First, here is the Pinterest version (click here). And here is my version:

As you can see, mine is VERY similar. I doodle my lines but don't add the weather doodles like she does. Not sure I can even draw a sun. LOL! And I even added a little feather one of my precious parrots lost yesterday. To color in each column I just use my 1/2" brush with my NeoColor Crayons.

I dab my brush into my water container, touch it to the crayon to pick up a little color, then paint the column. I did stamp over the first four entries too using the Stampers Anonymous She Created Art set. I may do more to this page, and I will share as these pages develop. Definitely easy and fun.

So, grab a journal, and get started! A super easy way to start art journaling! Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #97

2011-11-03T12:24:00.001-05:00

This weekend for those of us in certain parts of the U.S., we will turn our clocks back for one hour. I have been getting reminders via e-mail from our church all week. This made me think:

**Have you ever gone to church at the wrong time when you have forgotten to set your clocks to "Fall back"?

Luke 1:10 "And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside."

I hope you enjoy today's little fun prompt, and remember to set those clocks back by one hour! Blessings to you!

ODBD {New November Releases}

2011-11-01T07:00:00.023-05:00

Hello dear online friends! Today Our Daily Bread Designs is having their November Release Blog Hop! You should be well on your way and joining me from Debi's amazing blog! If not, you might want to start at the Our Daily Bread Designs blog and start from the beginning. If you get lost along the way, simply return there where the entire hop is listed with links.

I am blessed to have worked with the new set called "Warm Wishes." It was perfect for a photo of our "rare TX snow" last year and my 8x8 scrapbook page! We got a whopping 2 inches, and it came down fast and beautiful! We didn't have enough to make a snowman but this stamp set makes up for that!

Papers: Authentique Gathering, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Warm Wishes
Stamp Ink: Jenni Bowlin brown sugar, Archival Ink coffee
Embellishments: Basic Grey Oliver chip stickers, Derwent watercolor pencils, Paper Trey Ink buttons, Authentique Petite Type Square, misc. bakers twine, sewing machine

To see all of the hop details and prizes, be sure to see the details on the ODBD blog. Remember, you must leave comments on each designer's blog to be eligible to win. You won't want to miss out on the prizes!

Now it's time for you to hop on over to Lori's awesome blog. Enjoy, and have a blessed week! Thanks for stopping by!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #96

2011-10-27T15:25:00.000-05:00

As my husband and I watched a travel show last night and saw many different churches, it reminded me of the many beautiful churches I saw when growing up in England and Germany. I then got to thinking about our church here and what it looks like. Could I describe what it looks like? So, I thought today it would be fun to:

**Describe what your church looks like. Draw it out too if you would like. Maybe even take a photo and place in your journal.

Deuteronomy 27:5 "Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. . ."

And remember, to see all previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please see my list here. May the coming generations enjoy the description of your place of worship. Blessings,

Praying for a Cure!

2011-10-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

I have very exciting news to share with you today. Our Daily Bread Designs is one of many sponsors for the Splitcoaststampers second annual Hope You Can Cling To card drive to benefit those affected by breast cancer. Make sure to check out the Hope You Can Cling To Challenge Forums. There are daily challenges and many prizes given away by the many generous sponsors. You can even win one of the 5 $50 gift certificates to the ODBD store!!

To further support this cause, Our Daily Bread designs released a brand new stamp set, "Praying For A Cure" on October 15th. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this new stamps set sold during October will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Isn't this set beautiful? Several of the ODBD Design Team members have created samples for you today using this new "Praying for a Cure" set. Here is my creation using this set:

Papers: My Mind's Eye Blush, Memory Box nc
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Praying for a Cure
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink black soot, VersaFine onyx black, Archival Ink plum
Embellishments: Memory Box classic scallop die, Bazzill tulle, Stickles diamond, wire from Hobby Lobby, sewing machine

Be sure to visit each of the ladies below, leave a comment for each, and return to this post on the ODBD blog to let us know that you have visited them all. There will be three commenters selected to win gift certificates from Our Daily Bread designs. You have until Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern to leave your comments. The winner will be announced on Friday morning on the ODBD blog!

Lisa
Lori
Dawn
Grace
Angie
Connie
Sabrina
Sue
Chris
Patter (you are here)
ODBD

I pray you enjoy what everyone has done with the set, and may God bless those of you effected by this disease whether self, family, or friend. Blessing to each of you,

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #22}, Value

2011-10-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

Challenge Word #22: Value

Value: relative worth, merit, or importance.

What is it you value? Money, your looks, your children? What do you think it is that God values? The world today values intelligence, good looks, occupation—physical and materials things—but that is not what God values. God is more concerned with our heart than what the world values. What the world values is detestable in God’s sight. Luke 16:15 says “He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.’” And I love what Max Lucado says. He said “What causes us to pamper the skin while we pollute the heart?” Oh as women, I am sure we can all ponder that for a moment.

And what about marriage? God values the sanctity of marriage; the world doesn’t always see it that way. Hebrews 13:4 says “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

I had the privilege of hearing a divorce lawyer this week. He said that a woman called his office seeking counsel; she wanted to divorce her husband. I am not sure if this woman realized she was calling a Christian lawyer or not but this lawyer prayed with her over the phone, gave her scripture, and encouraged her to seek the Lord before making such a decision. I was in awe, and wowed that a divorce attorney would send away a potential client. How awesome is that! This man knows that God values the sanctity of marriage, and this man was more concerned for that marriage and what is right in God’s sight than the potential money it might have brought to himself. What an example he is to all of us. God speaks to us through His Word concerning all areas of our lives—all not just some. He then confirms it through circumstances and the indwelling Holy Spirit. God will never act contrary to what His Word says. By this particular attorney praying with this woman, sharing truth, and giving her scripture, she can truly seek God’s will in her situation. Praise be to God!

For my page today, I chose to use the scripture I quote above (Luke 16:15 ). I also added Romans 8:31a “If God is for us, who can be against us?” I thought that was so appropriate for this page. You can find that scripture in the ODBD set called Scripture Collection 3. I also used the Mojo Monday 210 sketch for fun. :)

Papers: My Mind's Eye Rosy, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 3
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink walnut stain
Embellishments: Memory Box classic scallop die, Zva Creative flourishes, flowers and leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts, Basic Grey Kioshi chip alpha, October Afternoon mini market alpha stickers, misc. baker's twine, misc. cross charm
Sketch: Mojo210

As you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here.

In what area of your life do you need to align your thinking with God’s thinking? How will you replace that “old worldly value” with what God truly values? Let His spiritual values shape you not the worldly values that surround you. You will not only be a witness to your children and grandchildren but to the lost world around you! In all things, put God and His Word first, and the rest will fall into place. Blessings to each of you!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #95

2011-10-20T08:35:00.000-05:00

Disappointment is hard. At times it can feel devastating. In our BSF class Tuesday night, our Teaching Leader said "When we go through bad things, we can trust God is bringing us to a better end and going forward with His plans and purposes." So, today:

**How has God helped you through a huge disappointment? How about specific scriptures He may have given you?

Exodus 9:16 "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails."

Remember, to see all previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please see my list here. Have a blessed weekend and joyous day trusting in Him in ALL things,

Tuesday's {Tip} Grab some Granite!

2011-10-18T04:42:00.020-05:00

How many of you use books when you need to place something heavy on top of a created piece until the glue dries? I used to do that but to be honest, it was a pain. The answer--granite! My parents recently remodeled their bathroom. During the remodel, I asked Mom if she had a left-over piece of granite I could use. Of course, she did, and I gladly took it off of her hands.

This piece of granite is just large enough to place on my paper creations that need to dry with a heavy object on top of them (e.g., chipboard, altered books, etc.). This has worked amazingly for me, and it fits nicely underneath my desk. I just stand it on end until I need it. :)

And before leaving you today, I thought I would share two more photos of our puppy--the cute reason why I am so "quiet" lately. I hope you enjoy him:

“Mom, can’t I come in and help with the laundry?”

“Yes! I caught my prey! But yeah, I know, I have to stay away from Kiwi and Sugar!!”

I hope you can find some scrap granite and begin using it to weigh down those heavily-glued creations. Blessings,

Tuesday's {Tip} Christmas Sets

2011-10-11T03:26:00.002-05:00

As Christmas grows closer, I have seen many posts on paper crafting boards asking for your favorite Christmas sets. I have many, and I thought I would share them with you today just in case you still need to find that perfect set for your Christmas cards this year. I personally have not searched out any other companies because these two companies are truly my favorite.

Memory Box Co. has released many new holiday stamps, dies, and a 6x6 Christmas paper pack called Yuletide. You can see all of the Memory Box Co. holiday releases here.

Our Daily Bread Designs has many GORGEOUS Christmas sets sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Some of the sets are (click on the set name to see the set):

Blessed Christmas
Christmas Blessings
Christmas Door
Christmas Rose
Christmas Tree Collage
Christmas Verses
His Gift
Holiday Ornaments
I Wait for the Lord
Joy to the World
Joy to the World Hymn
Joy Tree
Luke 2:11
Ornaments
Reason for the Season
We Three Kings
Worship the Lord

I also realized after writing this post that ODBD is having a sale on their Christmas sets through Saturday, October 15. You can see all of the details at the end of the post here. There are also pictures of a lot of the sets and sample cards! I hope you enjoy these and find what you are looking for this year! Blessings,

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #21}, Useful

2011-10-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

Challenge Word #21: Useful

Useful: being of use or service; serving some purpose; helpful.

Has anyone ever told you that you are helpful or useful to them? How are you useful to your family? Your employer? Do you think God sees you as useful in those place and elsewhere? Do you want to be used for His purpose? We see in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Each of us that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ has been called by Him for a special purpose. Do you know what that is? Maybe you are thinking that you are not good enough to be useful to God, that you don’t have a talent or skill, or that you don’t know how to serve Him. Well you were created by Him. He has a special plan, purpose, and ministry just for you.

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

He has created you. He has prepared something for you to do. But there are two important things to remember. First, our usefulness to Him is not of most importance to Him. He is all-powerful and does not need our help to accomplish His work. He is most concerned about our hearts. He doesn’t want to use us so we can boast. The glory only belongs to Him.

Proverbs 21:2-3 “A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

Psalm 62:11-12 “One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love.’”

He desires for us to serve Him and be useful to Him because we love Him. Can you say that you love Him so much that you can’t help but want to be useful to Him?

Second, being useful or used by God does not get us into Heaven. Works gain us nothing. You are already loved tremendously by your Creator God. Jesus Christ already paid the price for you and for me. He loves us so much that He died to pay for my sins and for your sins so that we might spend eternity with Him. Our reward is in heaven, not here on earth.

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Are you making yourself available to be useful to God because you love Him or are you too busy with your own plans?

For my page today, I used two stamps sets by Our Daily Bread Designs--Ironworks Borders and Scripture Collection 1. I also used a fun die cut from Cheery Lynn Designs called Lattice 2. It is available from the ODBD store here.

Papers: Webster's Pages, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 1 and Ironworks Borders
Stamp Ink: VersaFine onyx black
Embellishments: Cheery Lynn Designs lattice 2 die, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, Heidi Swapp center of attention jet chip alpha, Zva Creative black flourishes

I pray that you will open your heart to whatever God calls you to do. Trust in Him, and be blessed by Him.

Jeremiah 17:7 "But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”

As you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings to each of you!

Art {Journaling} Using Sprays/Mists!

2011-10-06T05:00:00.001-05:00

**Please note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} Challenge, click here or scroll down to the next post. :)

If you remember this layout from Tuesday, you may have seen the scripture on the tag that I used from ODBD set called Scripture Series 2. The scripture I used is Psalm 54:4 "Surely God is my help. The Lord is the one who sustains me." That layout and scripture was very meaningful to both my daughter and myself. So, I decided to do an art journal page about the scripture and layout.

This style of art journaling is a little different for me but I think I will really like it! This page is made up of using mostly spray inks. I took another amazing class by Roben-Marie called "Art Journal Conversion." She uses a lot of spray inks in her work, and it's how she gets such an amazing look to her pages. So, here is my first attempt:

Sprays/Paints: Liquitex Acrylic Inks, SEI Tumble Dye sprays, Glimmer Mist, Adirondack Color Wash, Golden Fluid Acrylic,
Other Products: Liquitex modeling paste,
Stencils: The Crafter's Workshop, punchinella, bubble wrap

I really enjoyed layering with sprays so I am definitely going to do it again. I also loved being able to journal my thoughts on this verse. Thanks for letting me share another page with you. I hope you have enjoyed it. Blessings to each of you!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #94

2011-10-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

One of my daughters was given a list of scriptures this week by one of her adult leaders. It was very meaningful to her. So today, please share:

**Has someone ever shared a scripture with you to help you maybe in a letter or note? Explain what it meant to you.

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."

And remember, to see all previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please see my list here. Have a blessed weekend ahead!

Week 1 {ODBDLYLS10} Scrapbook Challenge

2011-10-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone. It's time for a new ODBD Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge! This month, we thought it would be fun to have another sketch challenge. If you are new to scrapbooking, sketches are great to use. Also, if you missed my post on how I create my scrapbook pages, you can see it here. It may be useful to some of you! And now, your challenge for October is to: create a layout of any size using ODBD stamps and the sketch below. Have fun with it! Turn it, add more than two photos, make a journaling box, etc. There are so many fun things to do with a sketch!

In designing my page, I really kept the sketch "as is" and did not change anything. The design was perfect for these two photos of one of my daughters. :) The verse is from the ODBD Scripture Series 2 set. It was perfect as my daughter deals with healing from a long-term illness. The verse is from Psalm 54:4 "Surely God is my help. The Lord is the one who sustains me." I will use this same set and scripture on an art journaling page for Thursday so be sure to check back! For this page, I also used the wonderful die cut from ODBD called Vintage Border die. I used it for the "scallop" strip that was on the sketch.

Papers: Basic Grey Out of Print, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Series 2
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink black soot, Archival Ink jet black
Dies: Our Daily Bread Designs Vintage Border
Embellishments: SEI Tumble Die turquoise and orange, Glimmer Mist flower power, Prima flowers, misc. doily and tag, Memory Box Halloween jewel stickers, Zva Creative flourish, Hero Arts pearls, misc. washi tape, hand-dyed seam binding

I hope you enjoy my page and the sketch. I would love for you to play along with us this month, and maybe you will win a $20 gift certificate to the ODBD Store! You can see complete details on the challenge on the ODBD blog here. You have the entire month of October to enter! Enjoy your day, and see you again Thursday! Blessings,

Organizational {Friday} Washi Tape!

2011-09-30T03:55:00.003-05:00

How many of you use washi tape? For those of you that don't know what washi tape is, it is Japenese masking tape. Well, thanks to Pinterest, I am finding all sorts of new things "I need," and washi tape is one of them. Eeek! I have used Tim Holtz's tissue tape for quite some time and have always LOVED it. Well, now I can find that tape in all sorts of colors, designs, and fun! I have now collected quite a stash, and just recently found a great way to store it. First, let me share a few places where you can buy washi tape:

**Cute Tape (they have most designs here so you don't have to buy from many different sellers)
**Sugar B. Supplies (an etsy store that has a great variety and storage options)
**Pretty Tape (an etsy store that also has a great variety)

There are many, many more places that sell washi tape but these are the ones I shop at most frequently.

Storage
Now, how to store these great rolls of yumminess. Well, you could certainly:

**put them in a plastic container
**store in a drawer (which is how I used to store mine)
**put on a tension rod
**put on a pants hanger
**use a Tim Holtz tape dispenser
**etc., etc, etc.

I chose to go with these great containers from Sugar B. Supplies (linked above). They match my antique storage pieces in my room, and the tape is out where it's easy to see and use. I have two more on the way as I have already run out of room. Each "shelf" holds about 10 rolls of tape.

Sugar B. Supplies also has another dispenser that some of you may love. I did not personally buy this one but she does have it available also. It looks like it will hold more than 10 rolls for sure.

I hope you will have fun playing with washi tape and getting it organized! Enjoy your Friday! Blessings,

Art {Journaling} Spray Ink

2011-09-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

**Please note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} prompt, please see my post here or scroll down. :)

Happy Thursday everyone! Unfortunately I don't have a page to share. My creating time is all but "nill" with the puppy and hubby out of the country. But I wanted to share something with you so today I thought we could talk about spray inks.

I saw a post on Two Peas about making your own sprays adding paints and alcohol. Please, don't use alcohol as a mist! It is very dangerous for your lungs! The best thing to do is use pre-mixed products such as:

*Maya Road Mist
*Glimmer Mist
*Smootch Spritz
*Mister Huey's Mist
*Etc., etc., etc.

You can also make your own mist. For art journaling, I LOVE mixing either Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Inks with water in a spray bottle or Liquitex Acrylic Inks with water in a spray bottle. Both work the same way; both give great results. I also use them on other paper crafting creations (layouts, cards, etc.). You can buy them at Dick Blick online (click on each product name above and you can see them) or Hobby Lobby also sells them both in the art department. Sometimes they go on sale, and if not, you can use a 40% off coupon on them!

To use them as a spray, I put a dropper full in a spray bottle (also purchased from Dick Blick), add a small amount of water depending on how concentrated I want it, and then spritz away! The spray bottles I use have a space to write the name of the color so I always have some of each color pre-mixed.

You can use both of these inks full strength too. I put a few drops in a plastic artist palette and use with a paint brush full strength. I also use the dropper to drop single drops on a gesso'd page then spritz with water on top of the drops. It gives a fun effect!

I hope you enjoy today's post, and again I am sorry I don't have a page to share. I am REALLY missing my creative time! Have a blessed Thursday!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #93

2011-09-29T04:02:00.003-05:00

As I was listening to KLOVE yesterday, I realized how much I learn from the pastors and other ministry leaders that share their God-given wisdom throughout the day. It made me wonder about listening to sermons online and on the radio. So today, please share in your journals:

**Do you listen to sermons online or on the radio? If so, share what you listen to. If not, why not?

Matthew 5:1-2 "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them."

And remember, to see all previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please see my list here. Have a blessed weekend ahead!

Tuesday's {Tip} Circles!

2011-09-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love circles? I find I love them on layouts, cards, art journaling pages, everything! Well, I have been looking for circles that I can use without having to buy anything. So, I wanted to show you a few of my favorites here today. I hope it helps you to start looking around to see what you might find that will work for you too!

Some great ways to get circles onto your scrapbook pages, cards, and other creations is to use lids from any containers that you might have on hand along with some acrylic paint. Some of my favorites are:

*medicine lids (they come in various sizes)
*drink lids (again various sizes)
*lids from baby food jars
*cardboard tubing

Here are a few I mentioned above. Look at the different sizes and how they make different circles:

My absolute favorite circle to use on my creations is the one on the bottom right in the photo. It is a very sturdy piece of cardboard tubing from the center of a roll of aluminum foil. Toilet paper rolls work great too but I much prefer the sturdiness and thickness of the cardboard from aluminum foil!

Of course you can also get circles from:

*bubble wrap
*eraser on the end of a pencil

So, grab some acrylic paint and a circle or two and start creating! It's fun, they are cheap, and they can be used over and over again! Happy crafting!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #20}, Trouble

2011-09-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Challenge Word #20: Trouble

Have you ever looked at your troubles and wished they were gone? Have you ever just had enough? I know as we have been dealing with my daughter’s illness, I have felt that way this summer. I thought after all of the troubles my triplets have had with various health issues since their premature birth that we were done. Then, this summer here came more trouble. Why? Can’t I get rest? I am sure all of you have a similar story—troubles never seem to end or stop.

What do you do when you feel so down and burdened with trouble? Have you ever wished you could have someone else’s troubles? Socrates said “If all of our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.” I think that is a very true statement for sure.

How do you handle the troubles you have in your daily life? Who or what do you lean on? For me, I have my precious Lord. Without Him, I know I could NOT handle what happens in my daily life. He enables me to get through. He helps me, gives me joy when I feel down, He expands my time to help me get it all done, He fills me with His wisdom to handle the situation(s), and He holds me up. Can you say that He does that for you to? If not, ask Him, He will! Psalm 86:7 says “In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.”

And do you ever feel like you are alone in your trouble? Well God is right there with you. He has a plan and a purpose. 1 Peter 1:6b-7 says “…though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even through refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” And James 1:2-4 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Look back at your previous troubles. I am sure you will be able to see the blessings in them as you look back. I know I can! If God blessed you through those previous troubles, you can count on Him doing it again! Have faith, and trust Him!

For my page today--well, unfortunately, I don't have a page today. I am so sad because I am really in the mood to create but I have had a busy two days at church, and then I have to lead the BSF Leader's Meeting in the morning. I still have lots of prep for that so no creating for me today. I pray you understand, and I hope to post all of the pages I have skipped soon!

So, where do troubles in daily life take you? In times of trouble do you look for the Lord and follow where He leads or do you seek your “own way out”? Remember, Jesus will carry you through your troubles.

Hymn “Though Troubles Assail Us” (verse 1)
Though troubles assail,
And dangers affright;
Though friends should all fail,
And foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us,
Whatever betide:
The Scripture assures us,
"The Lord will provide."

As you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings to each of you as you persevere with Christ in your troubles!

Where is Patter?

2011-09-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

Note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} post, click here or scroll down. Thank you!

Okay, so I have been a bit scarce. The "rat race" has started--homeschooling, activities, Bible study, etc. Then for some reason I thought I had enough time on my hands to bring this little guy into our home:

Oh, SO in love already. Isn't he a cutie? Our other two dogs aren't so happy but we are working with a trainer, and hopefully we will be one happy family soon. So, if I am a bit scarce, bare with me--I am hoping to get my schedule smoothed out soon. Thanks for understanding and enjoy the weekend ahead! Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #92

2011-09-22T17:36:00.000-05:00

As I was thinking about Bible study this week, I thought that you should share the following in your journals this week--

**What is the name of your Sunday School class?

Psalm 119:73 "Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands."

And remember, to see all previous {Faith Journaling} questions, please see my list here. Have a blessed weekend ahead!

{ODBD} Name Your Own Discount

2011-09-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of my subscribers get the Our Daily Bread Designs e-mails but you don't want to miss out on this one!! Kelley is sending out a special "discount off of purchases" to her e-mail subscribers. You have until tomorrow night (Saturday) to sign up for the e-mails if you do not already subscribe so that you can get the special "discount message." Hop on over to this post on the ODBD blog to see complete details and to sign up for the e-mails.

I hope this helps some of you that have been waiting to buy some ODBD stamp sets! Blessings, and have a joyous weekend.

Art {Journaling} My Love of Biking

2011-09-15T03:00:00.005-05:00

Note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} Challenge, please click here or scroll down to the next post. :)

This week I thought it would be fun to do a page about my love of biking. Since my art journal really is a "Book of Me," I am trying to not only journal the day-to-day things but also the things I love. Biking is one of them. I also LOVE to listen to the cardinals as I ride. They were my precious grandmother's favorite bird. They remind me of her, her home, and her yard. So, here is my page sharing my love of biking and cardinals.

Papers: 7Gypsies collage tissue paper (background), Basic Grey Jovial paper (bird) and Nook and Pantry (sun), Prima Printery paper (center of wheel)
Stamps: Unity Lovely Lilacs and Worn Grid, Rollagraph Say What?
Paints: Liquitex Ink vivid lime green, Making Memories acrylic paint navy and daiquiri, Claudine Hellmuth sky blue
Inks: Archival Ink jet black and cobalt
Pens: Faber-Castell PITT Big Brush pens dark naples ochre, leaf green, pale geranium lake, black; Pentel EnerGel
Other: Portfolio Oil Pastel black, Liquitex gesso

I have never done a "scene" page before. There are some things I will change next time but it was a fun learning process. I hope you enjoy it, and happy Art {Journaling}. Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #91

2011-09-15T02:45:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night at our church service, there was a little baby baptized. We usually don't have too many kiddos in the Saturday night service so it was a blessing to be part of it. So, today--

**Share your baptism experience and/or your childrens' baptism?

Acts 11:16 "Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Enjoy your journaling time! Blessings,

A Little {Wednesday} Funny

2011-09-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

This morning as I was riding my bike, I ran across these "beauties."

They were right next to me as I was on the bike path. Ick! Not sure what they were munching on. I wasn't going into the dead leaves to see either. LOL! :) So, in Texas we get vultures and in South Carolina I get my alligators! Never a dull moment. That's why I always ride with my camera in my basket! :)

Have a blessed Wednesday!

Tuesday's {Tip} Quick Book List

2011-09-13T04:09:00.001-05:00

Prior to leaving for our recent vacation, I realized I had a whole bunch of books that I wanted to read but I could never remember what I wanted to read next or what the ordering was of the "series" books. So, I created a little card out of some old Crate Paper cardstock to slip into my Kindle cover. This way I always know what books are next on my reading list. It's my little quick-reference sheet for "on the road."

Note: Kindle cover purchased from Oberon Designs. Definitely our favorite covers. My kiddos have them too! Beautiful covers and worth the cost!

In the close-up photos above, you can see that I list the author's name first then the series book titles and underneath. I then list the date I started the book followed by the date I finished the book. The superscript number next to date refers to my "scoring" of the book. The books with a small penciled (B) means that I still need to purchase that particular book for my Kindle but truly I am hoping they will be free or severely discounted at some point!

And speaking of purchasing Kindle books--I now have over 220 books for my Kindle and over 90% of those have been free! If you missed my post on how to find the free books, see that post here.

So, I hope you will use that scrap paper, and jot down those books you want to read next. Quick, easy, and looks cute. Enjoy your Tuesday!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #19}, Share

2011-09-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Challenge Word #19: Share

While on vacation in August, we witnessed a terrible accident. We were the car just behind the two cars that hit. We also were the only witnesses to stop. The first car was a Suburban and was hit from the back. The back of the car was damaged but the occupants were fine—just shaken a bit. The Toyota Camry that hit them was demolished. The air bag deployed, the driver’s arms were burnt from the air bags, there was burning radiator fluid coming into the car, and it was really a scary situation. As I was there with the occupants, who were both conscious praise God, I felt God lead me to pray with them. I have never shared a prayer with strangers like that ever before. I held the passenger’s hand and I prayed for them while we waited for the police and rescue squad to arrive. Once the police took my statement and we were allowed to leave, the driver from the Suburban came up to me and shook my hand. I didn’t know why but then he proceeded to say “Thank you so much for praying for those people.” I had NO idea he heard me or saw me praying with them. While I certainly didn’t mind, it also made me think of how many times people see us doing things that we are unaware of. Does your life match what you say? Are you sharing Christ through your daily living? Are you sharing as God leads?

Our lives should match our words. For those of us that proclaim Christ as our Lord and Savior, then our lives should match our words. Our lives should share Christ through all we do and say. As Max Lucado says we can share by: “Being faithful to your spouse. Be the one at the office who refuses to cheat. Be the neighbor who acts neighborly. Be the employee who does the work and doesn’t complain. Pay your bills. Do your part and enjoy life. Don’t speak one message and live another.” So perfectly put.

In my daughter’s Christian evangelism class this week, they were talking about the word ‘share’. My daughter mentioned how we are so eager to share when we get a new car, new jewelry, new ‘anything’ really. But, how eager are we to share the Lord?

How many times have you heard people say they don’t want to know about being a Christian because “Christians are hypocrites” or “because they act just like the rest of the world”? Do you want non-believers to take you seriously? Then share Christ by the way you live. Live each day according to God’s Word, and remember to share with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

For my page today, I used two verses:

Micah 6:8 “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

2 Thessalonians 2:14 “He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Micah verse reminds me that that I need to live for Him each day. I stamped it using the ODBD set called 'Scripture Collection 2'. The Thessalonians verse reminds me that someone shared the gospel with me, and I need to share Him with others too gently and respectfully. I also loved these new papers from My Mind's Eye called “Breeze.” The colors and designs were perfect. I also loved the tag that said “Today Tomorrow Forever," and I added the word 'share' to it. It was just perfect for our word today!

Papers: My Mind's Eye Breeze, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 2
Stamp Ink: SU chocolate chip
Embellishments: Jenni Bowlin brown sugar paint dabber and letter stickers, Memory Box pastry label, Quickutz tag, Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Rectangles, Prima flower, Kaisercraft pearl, Paper Trey Ink button, misc. twine

As we remember the attacks of September 11th, I pray you will keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when God will put someone in your path that He wants you to share with. The world today is in desperate need to hear about the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Won’t you share as someone shared with you?

As you post your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings to each of you as you listen to His prompting to share with those around you!

Organizational {Friday} Grab a Bath Tower!

2011-09-09T02:17:00.034-05:00

Okay so did the title get ya? Yes, I said a bath tower. I went to Target the other day to pick up a new shower caddy for the kids bathroom. As I looked down the aisle, I noticed something called a "Triple Tower."

Hmm, it has the word "triple" in it. It must be for me. LOL! Anyway, on the back it says it is a "Rectangular Bath Tower," and it is really slim yet has 3 tiers. It looked perfect for my desk so I brought it home to try.

After getting it situated where I wanted it, I began filling it. I must say, I am very pleased! Each shelf measures 8 3/4" x 4 1/4". Here is what it looks like:

And here is what I put on each shelf:

Bottom Shelf: Water spritzer bottle, jute, twine, Collage Pauge, piercing tool, and other art journaling goodies

Middle Shelf: One Jetmax 4x4 plastic jar filled with paint brushes, Tim Holtz blending tool, bucket of Copic refills (I don't have many), Invisible Care lotion

Top Shelf: Three small buckets filled with mini misters and Smooch spritz, gesso, matte medium, Krylon matte finish

Everything here are things I use a lot. This makes them very easy to grab and put right back when I am done. Then if that wasn't enough, I was even able hang things from the shelves! I added a Clip-It-Up clip to hang my Cutterbee piercing bugs. I also hung up a mini album. I have room to hang quite a bit more too. So fun!

So if you need a little more vertical storage, run to Target to get a "Triple Tower." Happy organizing, and thanks for stopping by!

Art {Journaling} It's All About Tea!

2011-09-08T03:17:00.047-05:00

**Please note: To find today's {Faith Journaling} Challenge, please click here or scroll down to the next post. :)

Green tea--you either love it or hate it so I have heard. I wanted to start drinking it for it's health benefits and because my body loves to retain water. Ick! It took a while until I found the way I like to drink it as I do not like hot drinks. I used to be a HUGE Southern Sweet Tea girl however I gave that up as I began losing weight. Anyway, I must have a cup a day of this new tea. I love it, and it keeps my fingers from swelling. Yeah! So, I thought an art journaling page about my love for my tea would be fun. Here is what I created about "my tea":

Paper: Crate Paper Little Sprout (for tea cup and hearts)
Stamps: Tim Holtz Ultimate Grunge, Stampin' Up Nursery Letters
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black
Other: Portfolio Oil Pastel black, Liquitex gesso, Pentel EnerGel
Sprays: Adirondack Color Wash meadow and sunset orange
Teacup Template: Melstampz

I got the tea cup template from Mel's blog. She has many templates and a search feature so it's easy to find what you are looking for! I also included the tag and wrappers from the tea bags for fun. And in case you are wondering, here is my special green tea recipe:

Patter's Favorite Green Tea
*1 bag Bigelow Green Tea Mint
*1 bag Stash Moroccan Mint
*8 oz. boiling water
*8 oz. ice chips

Brew both tea bags in the 8 oz. of hot water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Pour over 8 oz. of ice chips. Drink and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed today's page! Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #90

2011-09-08T01:45:00.001-05:00

This week God allowed me to discover something on my morning bike ride here in my own subdivision. Usually it's my beach rides that make me feel so close to Him and allow me to see Him so clearly. Yet, this week He has shown me and allowed me to discover Him on the bike trails are right here. It's so very exciting. So, today--

**What has God shown you this week that you have discovered together with Him?

Genesis 26:19 "Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there."

How awesome Isaac's servants discovered a well of fresh water. How about you? Look for it. It's there, and He is waiting to show you. Enjoy your discovery and journaling time! Blessings,

Week 1 {ODBDLYLS9} Scrapbook Challenge

2011-09-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

It's September and our weather has finally fallen below 100 degrees! With the changing temperatures brings a new ODBD Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge! A few weeks ago, I created some fall leaves using vellum. I hadn’t used vellum in a long time! I have a stash that just sits in my drawer. I know there are other crafters that haven’t used vellum in a while either. So, this month I thought it would be fun to challenge ourselves with vellum. So, your challenge for September is to: create a layout of any size using vellum and ODBD stamp(s). Try something new with vellum. Use vellum for flowers, leaves, journaling boxes, color it, anything! So reach into that old stash and have fun! We can’t wait to see those ODBD and vellum creations!

For my 8x8 'vellum inspiration', I chose to color vellum with distress stains. It colors the vellum beautifully and dries quickly especially with my Heat It tool! I used distress stains on the flowers, fence, and crochet border. The ODBD sets I used were the Fence Border die to cut the vellum fence along the bottom, the Scripture Series 2 set for the scripture at the top of the page, Sweet William Small for the red vellum flowers, and Serve the Lord for the vellum crochet border in the upper right corner. Whew, now that's a lot of vellum but it was fun!

Papers: Prima Printery, Jenni Bowlin ledger paper, Paper Trey Ink black cs, misc. vellum
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps and Dies: Fence Border die, Scripture Series 2, Sweet William Small, Serve the Lord
Stamp Ink and Stains: Archival Ink jet black, Tim Holtz Distress Stain peeled paint (for fence) and fired brick (for flowers and border)
Embellishments: Basic Grey rub-ons and chipboard alpha, leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts, Zva Creative flourishes, Paper Trey Ink buttons, sewing machine

To see more information on the September Let Your Light Shine Challenge, please see the details in this post here. Remember, you can win a $20 gift certificate to the ODBD store. You have all of September to enter and play along! We hope you will join in the fun! Have a blessed day!

{17 Years} How Can it Be?

2011-09-01T07:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's another birthday post! Didn't I just post one of these a few months ago? How can my girls be 17 already? Some years this day bothers me as I remember why they were born. It was a very emotional day--an emergency c-section because they thought Baby A had died. Yes, here is my first look at Baby A whom we were told was gone:

The perinatologist did not want to deliver until the next day because he said "Baby A is already gone. We'll deliver tomorrow." Well, God had different plans, and they were delivered immediately not the next day! I didn't even know Him then yet He still had His amazing hand of protection over me and my beautiful Babies A, B, and C! And here are Babies A and B as they went home one month later:

And poor precious Baby C still had to stay in the NICU. The nurses said she changed overnight. She knew her sisters were gone! Poor little precious!

My girls are blessed in that they will always share that special "identical triplet" bond. I pray that they will not only walk hand-in-hand with each other but that they will always walk with our precious Lord and Savior.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Thank you for rejoicing with us today as we celebrate our precious girls. Happy Birthday sweet girls. We are blessed that God has given us the opportunity to watch over you as your earthly parents. We pray that 17 will be an amazing year for each of you and for our family. We love you darling girls!

**Please note: I am taking off today to celebrate with my girls. All "regularly scheduled posts" will resume next week. Thank you!

Tuesday's {Tip} Pinterest, Etc.

2011-08-30T02:16:00.001-05:00

Okay, I have finally jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon. I have seen it explode this year but never joined. Thanks to my friend Roben-Marie for inviting me! If you don't know what Pinterest is, here is a quote from their "about page":

"Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.
Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

Oh my word, I am finding I LOVE it! It's like one big gallery for me instead of having to go to so many different sites to find what I had "liked" previously. It bookmarks the site for me, and I can visually see what I was looking for. I have currently created 11 boards (or folders) thus far which makes it even easier to find what I love. If you want to see how it works, you can see my page here. It is my understanding that there is a long wait-list to join unless you have an invitation. I can certainly give you an invitation but I don't know if there is a limit on how many people I can invite. If you want a board of your own and an invite, just e-mail me your e-mail address and put "Pinterest" in the title so your message doesn't get lost amongst the thousands of others. :) If I have an "invitation limit," I will let you know.

Now onto the "Etc." :)

Twitter
If you haven't noticed, I have also joined Twitter. Now Facebook is one place I am still avoiding like the plague. LOL! Anyway, I will try to update it with important posts, etc. You can find my Twitter info on the top, left-hand portion of my blog. My family has laughed at me and can't believe I will be "tweeting." LOL!

Our Daily Bread Designs
We do not have any inspiration for the August Scrapbook Challenge for you today; HOWEVER, you still have time to get your pages in to win the $25 gift certificate! You can see the August challenge here. I hope you will have time to play along! Pages must be posted to the link by tomorrow at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Thanks for stopping by today, and enjoy your Tuesday! Blessings,

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #18}, Remember

2011-08-28T11:37:00.002-05:00

Challenge Word #18: Remember

Remember. Most of us think of ‘remember’ as a recalling of something. I love this definition of remember: “to retain in the memory; keep in mind; remain aware of.” As Christians, we are to retain God’s word in our hearts and in our minds. We are also called to pass it down to our children. Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

A few weeks ago my mother told me that my grandmother’s family Bible was found as they were cleaning out her house. She passed away in February of this year. My mother said “I didn’t even know we had a family Bible.” Well, if my mom didn’t know, I certainly didn’t know either. What a treasure!! But why did none of us know or remember that we had a family Bible. What’s in it? Who wrote in it? When was it purchased? Why wasn’t that treasure passed down along with the faith stories? Now, no one remembers. What a tragedy.

So, how are you raising up the next generation to not only know God but to live fully for Him and to pass down the faith stories so that the generations will remember? Sharing your faith and remembering how God has helped you in the past, moves us forward in our faith. Recording it as it happens also helps us remember accurately and helps the next generation as they walk with our precious Lord. Psalm 105:4-5 says “Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced.”

Remember the wonders He has done! Are you doing that? Are you recording it for future generations? If you don’t know where to start, be sure to look through my {Faith Journaling} Challenge. These journaling prompts will help you record your faith story so future generations will remember. What a legacy you can leave behind! Will you start today? And how about using the questions to interview grandparents and other family members? Maybe they haven't recorded His wonders but you could help pass it on by interviewing them! As future generations read your memories and/or hear about them, they can only be strengthened in their own faith. God recorded His words for us to remember. Now will you pass that on too so others can remember also?

For my page today, I wanted it to have a "heritage" feel. So, I used the new Our Daily Bread Designs set called "Seed Packet" that will be released Thursday, Sept. 1st. You don't want to miss this one! The "seed packet" itself looked like it could be a book page too. I also used the new Prima paper called "Printery." I loved the old writing and the ledger paper in this paper pad. The heart is from the ODBD store. It's called "Heart to Heart Lace Doily." And for my scripture, I chose to use Psalms 105:4-5 I mentioned above. I loved the phrase "remember the wonders He has done."

Papers: Prima Printery, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Seed Packet
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black
Embellishments: Cheery Lynn Heart to Heart Lace Doily die, Authentique petite type circle, Tim Holtz walnut distress stain and tiny attacher, Prima wooden buttons, hemp from Hobby Lobby, misc. twill, Derwent watercolor pencil juniper green

As you share your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings to each of you,

Organizational {Friday} Answering Your Questions

2011-08-26T03:47:00.000-05:00

If you remember from my big blog post/celebration celebrating my subscribers, many of you had questions. Today I thought I would share answers to your questions since some of them were organization related. So, let's get started.

First, many of you commented on how you enjoy my organizational posts, Scripture Challenges, and the new art journaling posts. I have a link list to a lot of my organizational posts here so it's easy to find what you need. Also, because I have been out of town, I haven't had a chance to create any art journaling pages. It is killing me! :) Anyway, I hope to have one for you in the next week or so. I definitely need some crafting time. I have missed it terribly! Now onto your comments/questions.

Jennifer in Ohio asked:
Some topic suggestions: how to organize a series of layouts into actual scrapbooks since some of us are working on recent photos as well as our stash of pictures from earlier in life (or the lives of our relatives).

*Jennifer, I have done several posts on photos. The most recent post shows how I have my pages and photos in my scrapbooks. This works if you are doing recent photos or older photos. You can see that post here. I hope that is what you were looking for. :)

Jennifer continues:
How to arrange finished cards and store them until we give or send them, how to earmark some photos or subjects that inspire me far more than others, and keep track of a growing collection while putting it to use rather than just accumulating papers and embellies.

*I have not had posts on these topics but will add them to my list. Thanks Jennifer!

********************************************************************
Lain said:
More tutorials that are simple and easy would be great!

*I will try to add them as I can. I get so busy so it's harder to take the time to do a tutorial. We will see what I can do. :)

********************************************************************
joannhw said:
I would love to see more scripture challenges in the future.

Laura B asked:
I've wanted to ask you for a while-do you have a compilation of your Faith Journaling and Scripture Challenges in one doc somewhere for easy reference? THis would be so helpful!

*Lain, I am praying about where God will lead me for 2012. Right now we still have the 2011 ABC Scripture Challenge going. Feel free to join in if you haven't done so! I would love to have you or anyone else that wants to dive in! And you can see a compilation of all of my older Scripture Challenges here that can be done at any time! :) Laura, these are lists that hopefully are what you were looking for.

Scripture Challenge 2008
His Holy Name Challenge 2009
Scripture Challenge 2010
ABC Scripture Challenge 2011

********************************************************************
Stamper Gail said:
I would however love to see different types of projects using scripture. Right now I'm in the making of a post board next to my computer where I can perhaps velcro laminated scripture verses each week.

*I try to use scripture on most of my creations. I hope as you look through my blog you will find scriptures for your board. I also just love to open my Bible and see what God gives me right on the page I open to. Hope that helps.

********************************************************************
Olivia said:
Would love to see mini albums with different faith journaling themes.

*Olivia, unfortunately I don't do many mini albums. The closest thing I have to mini albums are my Scripture Challenge pages and ATCs. I do have some ideas for a few things but just never have time to implement them. I will see when and how God expands my time in the future for such things. :)

********************************************************************
Valerie said:
I bookmarked the posts on Kiwi and Sugar...I have ALWAYS wanted a Sun Conure and I live vicariously through you.

*Okay, I had to post a fun one as our last comment. Thank you Valerie! We have had birds since before hubby and I were married 22 1/2 years ago. I had a canary; he had finches. Our love of birds has only increased over the years, and we have always had birds! I must say Kiwi and Sugar are our favorite. Ooops, I am not supposed to play favorites am I? LOL! Anyway, as my knowledge of caring for domestic parrots has increased, so has my joy of them. They are SO very intelligent, and truly a blessing in our lives. Here are Kiwi and Sugar about 30 minutes after we arrived home from our 17-day vacation this past Sunday. They are a hoot, and I hope y'all enjoy!

Thank you all for your questions, your love, and your prayers. You all are a blessing, and may God protect those of you in the path of Hurricane Irene! Happy Friday!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #89

2011-08-25T04:35:00.007-05:00

As I prayed each morning on the beach for the last 2 weeks, I realized it is where I have my very best prayer time. I don't know why. I think it's because it's where I feel closest to God. It then hit me, why don't I use an ocean CD for my prayer time at home each day. Oooh, I ordered one, and I am so excited to see how I like it! I know I have heard of others using music during their quiet time too so today, please share:

**When sitting down for your quiet time with the Lord, do you sit in silence or do you play some sort of music in the background?

Acts 4:24b ". . .'Sovereign Lord,' they said, 'You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.'"

How awesome that He give us His amazing and beautiful creation! If you want to see our Prayer Tree and hear the waves, this is where we go each morning for our prayer time:

Remember, to find all previous faith journaling questions, please see this post here. Blessings to each of you,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #88

2011-08-18T08:03:00.000-05:00

We see many instances of angels in the Bible. Tuesday, 8/16/2011, while on vacation, we had to put one of our beloved dogs down. It has been very hard for us especially since we were not there. But God gave me an angel yesterday morning as I rode my bike to the beach. It is something I will always remember, and I say thank you to the Lord and "Mr. Bojangles." So today,

**How has God given you an angel or guarded you with His precious angels during a difficult or fearful time?

Psalm 91:11-12 "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

How comforting to know that God sends His angels to watch over us. Remember, to find all previous faith journaling questions, please see this post here. And may you rest in peace now my precious Dusty! Blessings,

Tuesday's {Tip} Uploading ALL of Those Vacation Photos

2011-08-16T08:10:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share a post I did back in 2008. I know I have many new subscribers, and I am not sure how many of you remember this one, and it is something I STILL do with my vacation photos and love. Click the link below to read it:

**Vacation and Photos

I hope you find it helpful, and I will leave you with a couple of photos from this morning's beach ride. Eeek, and this alligator was mad! I think he thought I was going to take whatever it was from him. Do you think it was a rock? That's what my girls and I thought but we are still not sure.

Well, have a joyous day, and to see all of my older Tuesday's {Tips}, look at the link list here. I do need to update it but there are still some great ones there for you. Enjoy the day!

ODBD {Customer Contest} Mid-Month Stamp Release!

2011-08-15T05:00:00.060-05:00

Our Daily Bread Designs is having a special middle-of-the-month stamp set release! If you remember, back in March, Kelley was looking for favorite scriptures for a new ODBD set. She had a Customer Favorite's Contest, and now it's time to reveal the winners and the new, beautiful sets called Scripture Series 2 and Scrolly Borders. To see all of the details and the samples made by the winners, please see Kelley's post here.

The design team has also created some beautiful cards and layouts using these new sets. Be sure to start on the ODBD blog and go through the blogs to see the beautiful creations. You should be joining me from Gemiel's blog. If not, head back to ODBD to start the fun! Kelley has hidden prizes along the way, so you will want to be sure and visit each blog and leave a comment.

I created an 8x8 scrapbook page with both of the new sets. This scripture was perfect for our Texas Mountain Laurel that finally bloomed!

Papers: Prima Sweet Fairy, Bazzill cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Series 2 and Scrolly Borders
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink dusty concord and embossing ink, Ranger clear ep
Embellishments: flowers and leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts, Zva Creative pearl flourishs, Hero Arts pearls, sewing machine

Now be sure to visit all of the other amazing DT blogs. Here is the list if you missed the order:

Sabrina
Fran
Lisa
Becca
Angie
Sandee
Dawn
Connie
Marie
Grace
Lori
Chris
Julie
Debi
Gemiel
Patter (that's me)
Silke
Pat
ODBD

Silke's amazing blog is your next stop from here. Remember there are THREE $20.00 Gift Certificates hidden along the way so you need to visit and comment on each DT blog listed here on the ODBD blog! You never know where those prizes are hiding! Check back on Wednesday, August 17, to see if you are a winner! Have fun, and blessings,

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #17}, Qualified

2011-08-14T06:51:00.003-05:00

**Please note: To see the random RAK winner, please click here! :)

Challenge Word #17: Qualified

Have you ever thought about the word qualified (necessary skills, knowledge, credentials)? Let’s look at it for a minute. To get a job we must have certain qualifications. To get a driver’s license, we must meet certain qualifications. To get a loan for a car, house, or any other loan, you must qualify. To enter the Olympics, you must qualify. Almost anything we do in life here on earth has qualifications. However, have you ever looked at what God’s qualifications are for service? Most of the time, He calls the unqualified people to do His amazing work here on earth.

One of my favorite examples of this in scripture is Moses. Do you remember when God called Moses to go to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt? In Exodus 3:10-11, we see God speaking to Moses. He says “’So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” Have you ever asked God if you were qualified to do something He has called you to do? Or maybe you did not do as He called because you felt you were not qualified. But agh yes, if He calls you, you are qualified! He will enable you to do as He calls. His power is made perfect in our weakness, and He alone will be glorified. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Moses also had many questions for the Lord as he was called. Moses even goes so far as to share how he was unqualified to do what God had called him to do. In Exodus 4:10 Moses says “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” God replies and says in Exodus 4:11-12 “The LORD said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’” How awesome that God tells Moses He will help him. But if you continue reading Exodus 4, you will see that Moses then asks God to send someone in his place and God becomes angry. I pray that you will not follow Moses example but trust that God will give you all you need in whatever He calls you to do. I have seen the Holy Spirit work through me so many times especially when I am called to lecture for a Bible Study Fellowship class. I am always in awe of how He gives me the words and speaks through me directly to the women. It is SUCH a blessing to me to watch Him work through me. And the words certainly are not my own; they are truly from Him. I cannot claim any glory for it! It is ALL His. For those of you that have experienced what I am talking about, I know you are awestruck too. It is amazing to “sit back” and watch Him work! To God be the glory!

Well, I did not get a page done for this week’s challenge. We are still on my glorious vacation. When I get one completed, however, I will get it posted for you!

So remember, when He calls, He will equip you to do His work thus making you qualified! How amazing is that? And often He does not put us in positions where we are overconfident. The glory belongs to Him and only Him. We cannot take the credit as we could not do what we are doing without Him. He provides everything we need in order to complete our task. Will you listen and obey today even if you ‘think’ you are not qualified?

As you share your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings to each of you,

You Guessed It--RAK Winner!

2011-08-14T06:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, y'all are just too smart! I thought for sure I would stump you with my little challenge I posted the other day (look here). The very first answer and the majority of the answers posted below were correct! Here was the challenge photo to be identified:

And here is the actual photo:

Yes, it is from a Palmetto tree from my home state of South Carolina! I even have it on my car! It is our state tree and even on our beautiful state flag!

Just a beautiful tree and always makes me feel at home! And so now onto our random winner from the correct answers posted. Our winner is:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
4
Timestamp: 2011-08-14 11:39:40 UTC

And number 4 belongs to Cassie! Cassie said:

"Cassie said...
It looks like the bark of a palmetto tree. What a lovely bike ride you must have had :)
AUGUST 12, 2011 8:46 AM"

Huge congrats Cassie. Please e-mail your address to me, and I will get your prize off to you when I return home. :) And thanks for making me laugh everyone. I will have to stump you much harder next time! Blessings,

A Little {Friday Fun}

2011-08-12T08:32:00.000-05:00

Today, I thought I would share a few photos from my morning bike ride but also give you a challenge! First, here are a few shots from this morning's ride:

The gator was only a baby but he sure was moving fast. :) And it was high tide this morning so we didn't have a lot of room for riding like we usually do. Guess I better check the tide schedules. LOL!

Now for your challenge. Identify what these photographs are from:

I am looking for a specific name. :) Each correct entry will be entered to win some crafting goodies including a Unity stamp handle, some ODBD stamps, and whatever else I can find and put together once I get home. Sorry I don't have a picture. I will have to share that once I am home. :) You have until tomorrow night (Saturday), 8/13, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern to enter your guess in the comment section. :) Have fun guessing, and have a joyous weekend ahead. :)

Art {Journaling} Bookmark

2011-08-11T04:10:00.059-05:00

**Please note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} post, please click here.

Some of you may remember this post from a few weeks ago when I shared my new BSF notebook for this coming BSF year.

Well, I also made a magnetic bookmark to match my BSF notebook. To create the canvas notebook cover, I painted a piece of canvas with gesso. After letting it dry, I then painted the canvas. You can see it here as I was working on it.

After I was done painting, I cut out the canvas pieces for the notebook. I then had several strips of canvas left over that I did not want to go to waste, so I decided to make bookmarks out of the strips.

Look at those great strips! To create the bookmark, I used 1" strips. I then used my sewing machine to sew around the edges. I also doodled on each piece. You can see the sewing and doodling in the center strip above.

Then I folded the canvas in half, used the sewing machine across the top to keep it folded, and then added Basic Grey magnets.

I used the ODBD stamp set called the Cross of Christ to stamp a cross on the bookmark. I also finished the canvas with Krylon Matte Finish so that it holds up through the years. Here is how it turned out:

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Cross of Christ
Paint: Adirondack Paint Dabber pitch black
Stencils: Delta daisies
Other Products: Liquitex gesso, Dr. Ph Martin's India Inks, Pilot permaball pen, Basic Grey magnetic discs

I absolutely LOVE this bookmark. Very sturdy yet different. I made one for one of my daughter's too. I still have a couple of strips left to make a couple more. They each turn out slightly different because of the variety in the painting. So fun and easy to do!

I hope you enjoy today's creation. Have a joyous Thursday, and as always, thanks for stopping by! Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #87

2011-08-11T03:07:00.005-05:00

With summer winding down, people taking their "last minute vacations," and kids getting ready to head back to school, I thought it would be fun to share:

**When on vacation, do you attend a local church? Why or why not?

Acts 9:32 "As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda."

Remember, to find all previous faith journaling questions, please see this post here. May you enjoy your time of worship this week! Blessings,

One Bike Ride

2011-08-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

What a morning! In one bike ride today, God blessed us with so much of His beautiful creation. We saw:

*An alligator sunning itself. So far I am better this year. I am staying away. Most of you know that I tend to get a little too close to these guys. :)

*Two cranes in the tops of pine trees making LOTS of racket. They truly sounded like monkeys. He is the white "blob" in the middle of the pine tree.

*We heard a woodpecker pecking but we could never find him.

*And we road along side a pod of dolphins. There were at least 12 that we counted but I could only get a photo of one or two at a time.

*And as we head back home, this is the house two houses down from us. They have a bike cut through we use to get to the path to the beach. :)

Yes, a beautiful and glorious Monday morning. God so richly blessed us today, and I pray He blesses you in the same way in this week ahead! Yes, this is truly divine nature! Blessings,

Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

Art {Journaling} Random

2011-08-04T04:43:00.004-05:00

**Please note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} post, please click here.

Things here have been quite crazy. There is a lot going on, and I really couldn't even concentrate for this page. But that's what makes this fun as everything can be random! So, this page reflects the craziness but also shares that if I focus on the Lord, He will make my paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-7 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs The Living Bread (cross), Rollagraph Say What, Making Memories Simply Fabulous foam "r"
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black
Pen: Pentel EnerGel
Stencils: The Crafter's Workshop circles, bubble wrap, misc. stencils from Hobby Lobby
Paints: Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Inks; Adirondack Paint Dabber pitch black and sail boat blue; Portfolio Oil Pastel black
Other: Liquitex gesso
Ephemera: scriptures from vintage Bible encyclopedia

Sorry this is short but gotta get back to the craziness, and yes, it's only 4:45 a.m. :) Thanks for joining me today, and have a blessed weekend ahead!

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #86

2011-08-04T04:40:00.000-05:00

Last week we talked about the time of our weekly church service. This week, I thought it would be fun to record names. There are countless places within the Bible where you can read the recording of names. So today, let's share about the names that are important to us in our local church:

**How many pastors do you have on staff? What are their names and ministries?

Exodus 28:21 "There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes."

Remember, to find all previous faith journaling questions, please see this post here. Enjoy your journaling time! Blessings,

Week 1 {ODBDLYLS8} Scrapbook Challenge

2011-08-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Wow, and welcome to August! Could we really be sending our kiddos back to school this month? Amazing how the summer has flown by! And now, it's time for a new ODBD Let Your Light Shine Scrapbook Challenge. So, with another school year starting, I got to thinking about numbers, and I thought it would be fun to play with numbers on our layouts. Your challenge for August is to: create a layout of any size using at least one number, one embellishment, and ODBD stamp(s). Use a number in your title, your journaling, a math equation, anything fun with numbers. Think out of the box! Dating your page does not count as numbers. We want to have fun with those numbers, and remember you must use a minimum of one embellishment and ODBD stamp(s) too!

My inspiration for this month's "number and embellishment" challenge is this 8x8 page. The number '2' was perfect for my little "parrot pair." The scripture from the ODBD "Porch" set was perfect for their photo. I also used the border from the same set along the bottom of my page.

Papers: Making Memories Chloe's Closet, Paper Trey Ink cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Porch
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black
Embellishments: Bazzill number tag , Wilton doily, Tim Holtz Caged Bird die and mini paper clip, Basic Grey Delilha chip alpha, Jenni Bowlin flag banner number, Hero Arts pearl, Making Memories tiny alpha stickers, hand-dyed Hug Snug, sewing machine

Now, it is your turn to play. To see all of the challenge guidelines and how to win a $25 Gift Certificate to the ODBD store, please see this post here. This challenge runs through Wednesday, August 31st, at 6 p.m. Eastern. We can't wait to see what you create! Thanks for stopping by, and have a blessed day!

ABC Scripture Challenge {Word #16}, Portion

2011-07-31T10:29:00.001-05:00

Today’s post is a bit personal but I truly felt God wanted me to share. May He use it for His good and His glory!

Challenge Word #16: Portion

When you see or hear the word “portion,” what do you think of? I think for most of us, we would say food! But I do not believe that God wants us focusing on food in times of stress, disappointment, boredom, etc., and that’s exactly what I did after my triplets were born. For most of my life, I have been tiny and have never had a problem with food or weight until my triplets were born and they started getting older. In times of stress, in times of busyness, in times of boredom, I would use food for all things instead of turning to God. He alone should have been my portion instead of food. Eve was tempted with food, and she gave into that temptation. Jesus was tempted with food, and He fought Satan with scripture. I was tempted, and I was just like Eve!

Lamentations 3:22-24 “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’”

Well, after being overweight and not feeling good about myself at all, I lost the pounds. However, as it seems happens to so many of us, I gained it back plus some after I turned 44. My avatar is me at 44 just before giving into those temptations again. Now for the past two years, I have been using food as an excuse yet again, and to be blunt—I was sinning against God. I wasn’t waiting for Him. I wasn’t fighting Satan and those temptations with scripture. I just gave in and was disobedient to the Lord. However, in May of this year, He showed me and convicted me like never before with this verse:

1 Corinthians 10:23 “Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.”

Yes, I have freedom in Christ but I don’t have freedom to partake in more than my portion. Yes, food is permissible—we need it to survive but food in excess or more than my portion is not beneficial. He is my portion. He is what fills me up. I don’t need anything else—just my precious Lord and Savior! Since that conviction, I remember that verse every time I am tempted. I am now fighting Satan with scripture just like Christ did. He is our perfect example! But to be honest, He has also completely removed my desire to eat poorly, to overindulge, or to have more than my portion. Praise God! I have lost 22 lbs., and I have more to go but I truly feel He has completely and utterly changed my thinking for good. He truly is my portion!

So, who or what is your portion? Do you cling to Him and the inheritance that He has promised or do you run to the food, the cigarettes, the drinking—you fill in the blank?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

For my page today, I chose bright papers by SEI called “Sunny Day.” I felt the bright colors bring joy which is what God does for me. I also love the butterflies on the teal paper. I am that new creation in Christ, and I need to remember to honor Him in all I do including what I eat. The scriptures are two of the ones listed above—1 Corinthians 10:23 and Lamentations 3:24. The Lamentations verse is included in the ODBD stamps set called “Scripture Collection 5,” and the frame is from the ODBD set called “Brocade Borders.” I also used the Splitcoast Sketch SC343 for this page.

Papers: SEI Sunny Day, Paper Trey Ink cs
Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps: Scripture Collection 5, Brocade Borders
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink barn door, Archival Ink coffee, Ranger clear ep
Embellishments: Memory Box double ticket die, Paper Trey Ink rustic twine and buttons, Basic Grey Nook and Pantry chip alpha, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, sewing machine, hand-dyed Hug Snug, misc. charm

Whatever the situation is, depend on Him—I know now that He is ALL I need. He is my portion. He fills me completely, and He is enough! How about you?

As you share your pages, please be sure to use Keyword ABCSCRC11 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of our previous lessons, please visit this post here. Blessings to each of you,

Art {Journaling} Recreating a Page

2011-07-28T05:09:00.000-05:00

**Please note: To see today's {Faith Journaling} post, please click here.

Today I wanted to show you how I tried to recreate a page yet show you how different they turned out too. This is my very first art journaling page that I did back in May. You can see details in this post if you missed it.

This page was actually done on the front of a 5x7 notebook. It's the notebook where I keep all of my art journaling notes from classes I take. I love that cover, and I really wanted it to be part of my 9x12 art journal. So, I decided to recreate it, and here is the new 9x12 page.

Stamps: Prima foam heart, SU heart, Unity Hearts of Old
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black
Pens: Faber-Castel PITT big brush pens, Pentel EnerGel
Stencils: The Crafter's Workshop circles, punchinella
Paints: Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Inks; Liquitex Inks; Adirondack Paint Dabber stream, cranberry, citrus and aqua; Neocolor crayons
Other: Liquitex Light Modeling Paste and gesso, Tsukineko Squeegee
Ephemera: scriptures from vintage Bible encyclopedia and Select Notes on Bible Lessons, hymns from old hymnal, title from The Old Schoolhouse magazine

Of course, I had to add a bit more because the page is so much larger. I also used light modeling paste on this page. You can see where I used it on the right-hand side above and below the word "art" in the title. I colored the modeling paste with aqua acrylic paint before applying to the page.

This page was super fun to do, and I am glad it is now in my official "journal." Thanks for stopping by, and as always, let me know if you have questions. I will answer in the comment section. Blessings,

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #85

2011-07-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Because our girls have been working in our church nursery since last September, we have had to switch which church service we go to. Our church has 5 services total between Saturday night and Sunday. I love having so many options. So, today I thought it would be fun to talk about that:

**What day and time is your weekly church service?

1 Corinthians 14:26 "What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up."

Remember, to find all previous faith journaling questions, please see this post here. May you enjoy your time of worship this week! Blessings,