Capture the Moment

Back in 2014, I created a layout answering some questions about myself. I decided to answer the same questions for 2018. This goes in my "About Me" album, and it was definitely fun to go back and compare answers between the years. I hope to remember to this again in 2019 instead of waiting four years.

Here is a quick glance at the 2014 spread:

Thanks for joining me, and I would love to know if you do something like this every few years for your "About Me" album. Blessings,

The {3} Aces

Today I want to share a scrapbook page with you. Yes, an actual scrapbook page. :) I have not done one in over a year. The reorganization of my raw chipboard prompted me to use it and create a page. If you missed my chipboard reorganization post, click here.

As I was cleaning my studio, I came across this photo. I cried as I saw it. It is one of my favorite memories of my girls sitting with their great grandmother. It was the perfect photo to scrap after not having done a page in so long.

I did use two pieces of Blue Fern Studios chipboard (the ring and the title). I covered the ring in embossing paste, and the title was gesso'd and then spritzed with Bombay India Ink.

Thanks for joining me. I hope to do more scrapbook pages this year for sure! Enjoy your weekend!

Note: I had to turn on comment moderation. You no longer have to enter word verification but I will have to moderate comments as I have had a huge increase in spam. Thanks, and I hope it will actually be easier for you to leave comments since word verification has been removed. I appreciate each and every comment! Blessings,

{Organization} Chipboard Re-do

Most of you remember when I designed for Blue Fern Studios. It still has been on of my favorite companies to work for, and I still love their products. With that said, I still have a lot of chipboard. I love it, and I love to design with it. I did not do any scrapbook pages last year or use any chipboard but that will change this year. But first, I had to reorganize what I had. In 2013, I posted about how I kept the chipboard in a binder. That worked great for a while but the binders got so full and warped over time. If you want to see my original storage method and post, click here. So obviously, that storage method was no longer working for me.

Then, this week, I had a few clear stamps that I needed to put away. As I was doing that, I thought "Why don't I store the chipboard the same way?" So, I then began my chipboard reorganization! I pulled out these supplies and got to work:

• Neenah bright white cardstock
• Trimmer
• Avery Elle large storage pockets
• typewriter
• labeler
• DVD divider cards

I cut down the Neenah cardstock to 7 1/4" x 5 1/2" and typed the name of the chipboard set onto that piece. Then I slipped it into the Avery Elle storage pocket followed by the chipboard. Perfection!

As I kept going through my stash, there were some sets that just had one piece of chipboard. I didn't want to waste a storage pocket for just one piece of chipboard. So, I listed each of the pieces on the cardstock and put the chipboard into the same pocket. In the photo below, I have three different sets of chipboard but they are all trinkets of some sort. So, you can see how I put them together in the same pocket.

As far as words and titles, I did something similar as above. Most of these words were individually packaged. So, I put the words on the cardstock sheet in alphabetical order and slipped them all into the pocket. As I use that word, I will probably use a pencil to line it out on the cardstock. That way I will know that I no longer have that particular word.

All of the pockets are then stored in alphabetical order in a kitchen organizer bin. Behind the chipboard, I then store my clear alpha stamps in the same pockets. The bin sits in a cubbie in my studio. I think this is going to work perfectly for me.

 

So, think out of the box. What supplies can you organize this way? What do you already organize this way? I hope today's post spurs some ideas for you. Have a blessed week!

Art {Journaling} Inspiration Journal iw1.20.16

I am back with another entry in my Inspiration Journal. I am thinking of this journal as my "chunky and new technique" journal. It's so different from my normal style, and it's certainly fun to try. For today's entry, Donna used numbers on her page. I decided to use a scripture as I love to use scriptures on most of my work. For those of you have that followed me for some time, you already know that. :) Anyway, I loved the word "valuable" in this scripture:

Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

What a great reminder that we are valuable to Him!!! So here is how I journaled Matthew 6:26.

And since this is my "chunky journal," I pulled out my awesome Blue Fern Studios chipboard to add to the page. I had fun painting this fence. And the postage stamps remind me of the years I lived in England. Oh how I miss it.

Papers: Canson mixed media paper 
Stamps: Tim Holtz Tall Text, Becky Higgins date stamp, Technique Tuesday Favorite Circles 
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink sepia, Hero Hues India ink 
Paints: Liquitex gesso and light modeling paste; Golden Fluid Acrylics burnt umber light and yellow ochre; Glimmer Mist suede and mustard seed, Martha Stewart Satin lime zinger 
Tools: Ranger Mini Round Blending tool, Tim Holtz tiny attacher 
Embellishments: Blue Fern Studios country picket fence and Blue Fern bits chipboard, misc number tickets, misc. tag, used postage stamps, bird tissue paper, masking tape

Well, thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

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{My Place} Canvas Tutorial

Today I wanted to share a 4x4 stretched canvas that I created for Canvas Corp Brands. The Canvas Corp Crew was asked to create a 4x4 canvas that best represents our style. So here is my take on it along with a few instructions to help you create your own. First, here is my finished piece:

Papers: misc. book and music paper 
Stamps: 7Gypsies Distressed Words 
Stamp Ink: Hero Hues India ink 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Chelsea Vines 
Tools: Faber-Castel spatula, Prima Art Basics modeling paste opaque matte, Prima Flourish stencil 
Embellishments: Glimmer Mists Pink Taffy, Timeless Lilac, and Key Lime Pie, cheesecloth, Zva Creative pearls, Prima Junkyard Finding street sign, Petaloo Darjeeling Petites teastains purple and Dahlias lavendar, Wild Orchid Crafts flowers, hand-dyed Hug Snug, May Arts twine, old paintbrush, misc. lace

There are so many things that represent 'me' on this canvas—my favorite color pink, my love of mixed media and 'throwing paint', paintbrushes, flowers, etc. I chose to use the 'my place' metal sign since I plan on hanging this in my studio.

So, to create your own, you will need a 4x4 canvas. You can get one by clicking here. Also, most supplies are linked in the Product List below. Now let's get started:

1. Cover canvas and 1/2" paintbrush in gesso. I also covered the Blue Fern Studios Chelsea Vines chipboard in gesso also. Let all pieces dry.

2. Add modeling paste to the canvas using a spatula and stencil. Let dry.

3. Spritz canvas with 3 colors of Tattered Angels glimmer mist. I used Pink Taffy, Timeless Lilac, and Key Lime Pie.

4. Paint chipboard with a mix of Tattered Angels High Impact lime green paint, gesso, and Glimmer Glam.

5. Color 1 yard of seam binding with Glimmer Mist as well as a small piece of cheesecloth. Let dry. To see how I color my seam binding, click here to see that post from 2012.

6. Add Plain Jane Stained Glass to paintbrush. After it dries, tie seam binding to top, and add pearls and lace.

7. Stamp text from 7Gypsies Distressed Words stamp onto canvas then begin layering and adhering piece of book paper, cheesecloth, chipboard paintbrush, flowers, and metal accent.

8. To finish, mix Golden black gesso and water in a Mini Mister. Shake and remove the lid and put droplets all over the canvas.

Have fun creating, and thanks for stopping by! Blessings,

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Art {Journaling} Create Art

The other day as I started a new art journaling page, I decided to pull out my Gelli plate and use it. I haven't used it in a while so I figured it would not only be fun but it would be fast. I put a little white, purple, and green paint on the plate and used my American Crafts chevron brayer to spread the paint on the plate. I then put the paint down on my journal and on a sheet of deli paper. Goodness was I glad I had the ghost print on the deli paper. As it turns out, the paint on the left side of the journal page ended up looking like mud. I loved the look on the right but the left looked awful.

So, I put white gesso over the left side of the page. Once it dried, I put down the deli paper ghost print. Can you tell the difference between the two pages? I couldn't even in person. That's what I love about deli paper, it's really hard to see once down on a page so it blends right in.

After that, I let the pages sit for a day or so. I just didn't know what other color I wanted to use on the page, and I didn't want to do too much to the background because I loved the look I got from the Gelli plate. As you can see from the finished pages below, I ended up choosing yellow. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I don't use purple and green often, and gosh it was a challenge.

Papers: Blue Fern Studios déjà vu, deli paper, misc. book paper 
Stamps: Dylusions Around the Edge, Tim Holtz Schoolhouse Blueprint and Mini Worn Text 
Stamp Ink: Hero Hues India ink 
Paints: Tattered Angels Plain Jane Baseboard vine and daffodil, Dina Wakley Heavy Body Acrylic lemon, Dylusions crushed grape and fresh lime 
Tools: Tim Holtz dot fade stencil, waterbrush, scissors 
Embellishments: Stabilo All pencil, correction pen, Uni Posca paint pens (purple and yellow), Golden black gesso, Liquitex gesso

These two pages are the very first pages in my art journal. I had actually left them blank, and once I put this down, I felt like the title needed to be "Create Art" since it is the first page of my art journal. Thanks for stopping by today!

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Grateful Heart Journal

Today I am featured on the Canvas Corp Brands blog with a journal I made for my daughter. I thought she could journal her fears, concerns, etc., before her open heart surgery.

Papers: Canvas Corp Black and White Damask Reverse 

Stamps: 7Gypsies Distressed Words 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz bundled sage and black soot 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Grid pieces 
Embellishments: Glimmer Mists Pearl, Pink Taffy, Tattered Rose, Timeless Lilac, Lemon Zest, and Key Lime Pie, cheesecloth, Petaloo Wild Blossoms and Mini Blossoms fuschia, Petaloo Petites teastained greens, sewing machine

To see the step-by-step instructions on how to make this journal, please see the Canvas Corp Brands post here. Thanks for stopping by!

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{Glory Art} Scripture Challenge #9, Hope and Rest

Note: Please click here to see today's Glory Art {Tip}.

The Study

We received some unsettling news a couple of weeks ago. Our daughter that has already had two back surgeries since October 2014 will now need another back surgery that will include putting rods and screws in her back. This news hit me hard. I think my "mama heart" is weary. I didn't sleep well the night we found out. Every hour I was awake, I heard a bird singing—at midnight, 1 a.m, 2 a.m., etc. Then at 3 a.m., God gave me this song by Francesca Battistelli and funny enough the title is "Find Rest." Click here to listen to this amazing song.

Find Rest
"He never sleeps, He never slumbers
He's been awake at every hour
No tear catches Him by surprise
He's never lost, He never runs out
He never lives in the shadows of doubt
No fear catches Him by surprise

[Chorus:] Find rest my soul
Put your hope in God
Put your hope, put your hope in God

He always is, He always will be
He always has been everything I need
How can this be catching me by surprise
He's ever strong, He's ever faithful
His love is real, now nothing is impossible
'Cause nothing catches Him by surprise

[Chorus] 

I close my eyes, and I can see
The arms of mercy holding me
I close my eyes, and I can see
The arms of Jesus holding me

[Chorus] Put your hope in God Put your hope in God"

I cry every time I hear this song and really listen to the lyrics. Nothing catches Him by surprise. He is all-knowing. He is everything I need. He is everything you need. He is holding my daughter in His precious arms, and He is holding you too!

Psalm 73:23 "Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand."

Psalm 139:1-4 "You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely."

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

He is ever faithful and strong. Nothing is impossible with God, and His understanding has no limit. He brings comfort to His people by tenderly caring for His sheep.

Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."

Psalm 147:5 "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit."

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

Luke 18:27 "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'"

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

He is our hope, and He gives us rest. Do you feel hopeless at times, or maybe even today your "mama heart" is weary like mine. Maybe you feel like you have no where to turn. God is our hope for the future and in all situations. Look to Him instead of focusing on the difficulty. We do have adversity in our lives but it won't consume us when we are in Christ.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Gien Korssen (speaker, Bible study leader and trainer, and Christian author) said "There is Someone who cares about us, who watches closely for each individual: God! Through Him we can find rest in spite of the catastrophes that harass the world. He offers us a place to stand, and hope, even in an apparently lost world. He offers a new beginning to those of us who return to Him."

Will you cling to Him, put your hope in Him, and let Him lead you when you are weary and need rest? His power is available to those who trust in Him. Ask, and He will answer in a mighty way!

Psalm 70:5 "But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay."

The Art
I decided to create a Journaling Bible page today. You will also note that I used paint on the page over the scriptures. I usually do not like doing that but I have pulled out some of my paints that are translucent. I love the translucent paints because it adds color without covering up His Word. To see all of the details, please see today's Glory Art {Tips} post by clicking here. I share two separate tips today so be sure and look. :)

I am a bit disappointed in my photography of this page today. I tried many different things to get it to look like it does in person but it just did not work. The gold on the on the page is actually a very soft yellow, and for some reason, the blue is barely showing up. So imagine more blue and a softer yellow. LOL! Also, the stamp sets I used today are from Blue Fern Studios. They are called the Forever stamp set and the Vintage Edges stamp set.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. Have a blessed and restful Mother's Day!

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A Sketch for National Scrapbook Day

Are you participating in any National Scrapbook Day (NSD) activities? I know the big celebration was yesterday; however, most people make a weekend of it. What are you working on? Why not use this new and amazing sketch from Blue Fern Studios to scrap a page today? All of the details on how to play along are in this post here on the Blue Fern Studios blog. Now let's look at the amazing May sketch:

I hope you will join in the fun. Can't wait to see what you create. I am working on my page this week using this sketch. Enjoy, and remember to see all details of this sketch challenge, click here. Happy scrapping!

{Glory Art} Scripture Challenge #8, Intercessory Prayer

The Study

If you remember our study from two weeks ago, we talked about being anxious. We also talked about how important it is to pray when you are feeling worried or anxious. If you missed that post, please click here to read it. We are going to continue with that same story about my daughter that had the big running test. The test began at 5:15 a.m. so she had to leave school at 4:45 a.m. that Thursday morning. God woke me up at 4:30 a.m., and I began praying for her. Then God whispered to me and prompted me to actually send her the prayer that I was praying silently at home. So I rolled over in bed, grabbed my cell phone, and I texted her a bit of what I was praying for her. I didn't realize just how much she needed to hear it but God knew. She texted me back elated that I not only was awake and praying for her but that I had shared the prayer with her. God knew she needed to read what I was praying for her. Some of the prayer is cut off because it was quite long. I dictate my texts so it's easy to just talk away. Here you can see a bit of what I sent her:

Today we want to talk about intercessory prayer. So what is intercession? Dictionary.com says "a prayer to God on behalf of another." So, what exactly does prayer mean to others? For my daughter that early morning, it was exactly what she needed. I didn't know that but God did! Do you ever let others know that you are praying for them? Do you offer to pray with them at any given moment? You can pray with someone in person, over the phone, via text message as you see I did here, and in so many other ways. How about e-mailing your prayer to the person you have interceded for that day? I never realized how much prayer meant to others until I was a group leader in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). I would pray with the ladies over the phone as God prompted me. I never liked to pray out loud let alone for someone right there in front of me or on the phone. Well, God has completely changed that. Prayer is not about me or my words; it's all about Him.

So, how do you feel about praying for others? Do you keep it private to yourself or do you let them know specifically what you are praying for them? Has someone done that for you? How did it make you feel? Are you worried about what to say or how you may sound? That is something we need to get over and let God use each of us as He intends to bless the person that needs to hear the words God gives us. Pray just as you would in a conversation with your best friend. We look forward to that time with our friend, and we should look forward to the privileged time we have to pray for others.

Prayer is powerful, and we need to be prayerful at all times no matter the situation good or bad. We should put the concerns of others before ourselves and stand in prayer for them. Prayer causes the believer to live victoriously! Don't you want to live a victorious life and experience the privilege of praying for others? Look at Paul's amazing example here in Acts:

Acts 20:36 "When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed."

Will you kneel down in prayer for those that God puts on your heart this week? Will you share your prayer with them? Prayer is a privilege, and lifting the needs of others up before the Father is not only a blessing but takes our mind off of ourselves and our own situations.

Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Philippians 1:4 "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy."

2 Timothy 1:3 "I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers."

If you want to learn more about prayer, click here to read a study I wrote in 2010 regarding prayer, and click here for another prayer study I wrote in 2012. I hope you find these helpful.

And to finish today's lesson, I have a video for you to watch if you have 11 extra minutes. This beautiful woman of God shares how she keeps track of her prayers for others, and at the end there is a tremendous blessing as this precious woman prays for you. I cried the first time I watched it. May God bless this beautiful woman of prayer. I know she is an example to me and many others!

The Art

Today I decided to create four more Scripture Art Cards. I used three of the scriptures noted above. I also used the Blue Fern Studios Love Story paper collection for the tags to place the scriptures.

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here. May you be blessed this week as you intercede for others in prayer!

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