A NEW creation!

Welcome to another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Today I am hostessing the challenge and I have chosen 2 Cor. 5:17 for this week's Scripture.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

The Challenge is: Use the theme of "NEW" and interpret it as you want: new year, new life, new birth, new supplies, new house, new technique, etc.
Please tell us what you use to fit the challenge.

We are all God’s creation – made in His image to have a relationship with Him. God saw what He had created and said it was good! However, man sinned, and in so doing, their relationship was broken, because God is Holy and cannot coexist with sin in a sinful vessel.

So because God loved His creation so much, He made the way for us to be reconciled to Him; to be made clean again. This plan involved sending His one and only son, Jesus into the world to take upon Himself the sins of the world. Now, when we place our faith in the work of Christ Jesus, God forgives our sin and makes us NEW. New is our status before Him (forgiven instead of condemned, our relationship to Him (devotion to Christ brings new attitudes and actions), and our purpose! Eph 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them”. Now we are to be about our Father’s business!

I used butterflies for my "New" theme. The butterfly is a beautiful example of new life. In its original state, the caterpillar serves a purpose, but it’s not exactly what we’d consider lovely! Many caterpillars die in their caterpillar state, being stomped under foot, considered a nuisance by many, and ending up as food for songbirds! However, those that do go on to cocoon up emerge as a most beautiful creature, enjoyed by mankind, and serving the new purpose of cross pollinating God’s beautiful flowers and flowering trees! Their new life may be very short… but while they are here, they go about their purpose with full abandon!

In the same way, when God makes us new creatures, He has a job for us to do! We each have different talents, abilities and gifts which we are to use to bring glory to Him and to point others to Him so they too can one day enjoy eternal life with Him and the joyous abundant life we enjoy today!

How about you? Are you a new creature in Christ? If so are you living like it? Are you intentionally seeking to do His will and bring Him honor? There is such joy in serving Jesus! Don’t miss it!

My card details:
Stamps: Layers of Color Flutterescent, Nature Walk and Touch of Elegance clear art stamps
Card Stock: Coredination - Nostalgia 80#
Designer Paper: Pinkpaisley 365* lined paper
Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy,(SU!) Big & Juicy (Ranger) VersaMark Dazzle Champagne
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Spare Parts lace, May Arts Faux Suede ribbon, Pebbles Pearlescent Chalks,Sewing Machine

Our Sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps!

They have generously offered $15.00 worth of clear stamps!

If you have not checked out their store, please do so as they carry many Christian stamps!

We thank them for the support!

For full details on the challenge and the prize please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Blog!

For more inspiration on this challenge, please visit my DT Sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Miesje, Rebecca, Lisa , Patti, Randi (on break)

I am also entering this in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations - new beginnings
Karen's Doodles - monochromatic
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes
Color Chef - COLOR - Monochromatic (tone on tone)
AiFactory - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - monochrome
Meljens Designs - square or round cards (no rectangles)
Some Odd Girl – embossing (I heat embossed the butterflies in clear)
Creative Card Crew - new beginnings
Mami Doodles – mostly blues
Dutch Dare - all stitched up

Thanks so much for visiting!!! Have a blessed week!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and BLOG CANDY!

To enter the drawing for my Blog Candy... please click HERE

Hello dear blogging friends! I prescheduled this post because I am with family this week, enjoying happy times and making treasured memories.... and most of all thanking God for His indescribable gift! To think that even in my rotten sinful state, GOD... the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End... the Creator of the universe, and the Sustainer of all things was mindful of me... just amazes me so much, I really can't fully fathom it! But I stand on His Word as true, and thank Him for so great a love... so great a plan that He would give His one and only Son, and that that Son would humble Himself and become a man so that He could pay the price for the sin of the world... WOW! He did all this because He loves us... you and me! No matter how sinful we have been, no matter what we have done, no matter how far from Him we are... He loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us! So on this Christmas day... many of my thoughts and prayers will be in thanksgiving for His ultimate gift... Jesus... Emanuel... God with us! I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a new year filled with God's richest blessings!

I made this card using Layers of Color Poinsettia Frame cling art stamp and the Spellbinder's Label Sixteen. I love these beautiful frames and having them match the spellbinders dies just makes them even sweeter! LOC is excited to be a Spellbinder's Preferred Company! The designer paper is Graphic 45 and the cs is Gina K.

To see the other cards made by the talented Layers of Color Design Team, please visit their blogs:

Layers of Colors Art Stamps

Linda
Janice
Jennie
Jessica
Melisa
Nina

My Design team sisters on the Stampin Sisters in Christ team have also left special Christmas cards for you, and you can see their creations on their blogs as well:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Randi (on break), Meisje, Rebecca, Lisa , Patti

To See My Gift to You... BLOG CANDY, please click HERE

They shall be white as snow

Isaiah 1:18 Come now and let us reason together," Says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Welcome to another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! This week our hostess is the my wonderful DT sister, Rebekkah. She has chosen Isaiah 1:18 for the Scripture and the challenge is a color challenge: to make a white card/ project with a splash of red.

It's hard to think of a more meaningful Scripture when you really think about it! This is the message of salvation through the precious shed blood of Jesus for you and for me... applied to us by grace through faith. Because of the work of Christ on the cross... my sins are washed clean. Does that fact amaze you? Do you believe it? Are you living in the joy that comes from knowing you've been forgiven and your sins have been removed... not just forgiven but removed as far as the east is from the west? As we anticipate this wonderful time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ... let's never forget that He came not just to be that sweet baby in the manger who would grow up to do many miracles.... He came to die! He came to die for the sins of the world! I hope your Christmas celebrations will be centered on Him and what He did for you!!!

My card is made with Our Daily Bread designs Peace & Joy set and matching Die. I used the Snowflake Background and embossed with Stampendous Kaleidoscope embossing powder. While it looks clear in the photo... in real life it picks up all sorts of colors and sparkle. I also used 2 embossing folders... one is Crafts Too and one is Cuttlebug from the Winter Wonderland collection. The gems are from Micheal's, ribbon from my stash. I hot glued the snowflake beads to the ribbon. The card stock is Gina K.

Our sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps!

The prize is a $15.00 Gift Certificate to the CDS Store! Check out all their wonderful new products! We thank them for their generosity!

For more inspiration, please visit my dt sisters:
Chris, Linda, Peggysue (on break) , Randi, Meisje, Rebecca, Lisa, Patti

For the full devotional and challenge details please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Stamp Something - christmas colors
Totally Papercrafts - christmas punches
Wags 'n Whiskers - snowflakes
AiFactory - winter
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - let it now
Dutch Dare - christmas
Paper Romance - winter
Southern Girls - anything using heat (heat embossing)
Creative Belli - "R" embellishments (Ribbon)
Play Date Cafe - COLOR inspiration
Stampavie and More - snow / snowflakes
Artful Inkables - die cuts and punches
Tuesday Throwdown - embellish it
Ooh La La Creations - inspired by a christmas song (Let it Snow)
Paper Playtime - inspired by a christmas carol

Thank you so much for stopping by and I love knowing you were here!

Give thanks to the Lord

Hello everyone! With Sunday comes another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge!

Today our hostess is the sweet and talented Miesje. For this week's Scripture, Miesje chose

Psalm 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever."

Miesje's Challenge: create a card/project showing thankfulness to God.

I have to say I was happy when Miesje chose this Scripture and challenge, because it seems like every year, the Christmas decorations and toys appear earlier and earlier in the stores, and Thanksgiving just gets lost in the Christmas rush! It's interesting that in Romans 1, where we read that difficult passage that talks about God's wrath on unbelief and how eventually He "gives them over" to a depraved mind...at the top of the list of sins, is the sin of ungratefulness. Rom. 1:21 ""For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." I think we live in times where people are arrogant and when they have much, they tend to think it's because "they have earned it"... and few people stop to give God thanks, for even their ability to earn anything is a gift from Him! Really, we ought to thank God every day for everything we have, for life itself and all that He has done for us!

So with Thanksgiving coming this week here in the US, I thought I'd use this bountiful fruit bowl and Thanksgiving verse from Our Daily Bread designs. The image is from Fruit of the Spirit. The verse is from Give Thanks. I used this week's Midnight Madness Sketch
#80 and the colors were inspired by this week's Shabby Tearoom Challenge photo. Aren't these colors yummy? I used the new BasicGrey Curio dp, Bazzil for my base and colored the image with Copics. I spritzed it all with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Honey Dew Mist. Love the sparkle... wish you could see it! The flowers are Primas and were a gift from a dear friend! The lace is vintage seam binding from a thrift store. I fell in love with the vintage wrapping around it, but it worked perfectly for this color challenge.

Our Sponsor this week is Seredipity Stamps ! We want to thank them for their generous donation and support of Stampin Sisters in Christ! Check out their store for a beautiful selection of stamps!

For more inspiration, please visit my dt sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue (off this week), Randi, Meisje, Rebecca, Lisa (off this week), Patti

For the full devotional and challenge details please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I am adding this to the following challenges:
Cinema Saturday - a hint of lace
Crafty Emma - lovely lace
Tellen's Place (1 entry) - give thanks
Daring Cardmakers - 3 of something (Roses)
Raise The Bar - grateful
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - anything goes
Hodge Podge Shop - anything goes
Paper Romance - your favorite things (Roses, lace)
Shirley2Girls - thanks and leaves
Freshly Brewed - show off your style
Sisterhood of Crafters - thankful
Stampin' Royalty - patterned paper
Creative Card Crew - give thanks
Paper Take Weekly - autumn colors
Crazy Challenge - thank you or thanksgiving

From our Family to yours

Happy Sunday everyone! With Sunday comes another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Today our hostess is my dear friend and Our Daily Bread designs DT Sister, Randy Barrett. The Scripture Randy has chosen for this week is: Is 55:10-11

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Randy is challenging us to make a card or project that depicts weather such as: rain, snow, ice, sunshine, wind. Anything that demonstrates weather.

I used the Moxie Fab Tues. Trigger for my color scheme (from O Magazine) and chose the theme of snow for my weather. I used this month's Our Daily Bread designs new release Snowflake Background and the sentiment from Mistletoe Tag set as well as the Tag Die Cut. Talk about a quick easy way to make your Christmas cards! Stamp a card, add some ribbon and texture, a little bling and you are done! These could easily be mass produced! The ribbon is from AC Moore. The bling is Recollections. Card Stock and Ink are SU! After I assembled the card I spritzed it with Shimmerz Angels Wings for some shimmer. I hope you can see it a little bit.

Our Sponsor this week is Heartfelt Creations~ If you have not explored this company, you should! Awesome stamps folks!!! I have some on my Christmas list!!!

For more inspiration, please visit my dt sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Randi, Meisje, Rebecca, Lisa, Patti
We are sorry to have to say that Cindy has stepped down from the DT. We will miss her!

For the full devotional and challenge details please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge. I hope you have time to spend in God's Word today and see what it might be that He wants to say to you through it! Have a blessed week!

I hope you'll stop tomorrow for a
Layers of ColorDesigner Blog Hop!
I and the other designers will be choosing one blessed winner from those who comment on our blog hop posts tomorrow!
Beginning on the Layers of Color Blog

GRAND PRIZE DRAWING, BLOG GIVEAWAYS
Challenge with 2SKETCHES 4YOU, and amazing stamped artwork!
Starting on Layers of Color blog ~ See you there!

I am adding this to the following challenges:
Elephantastic - Blue
No Time to Stamp - Tag
OSAAT - Winter Wonderland
Paper Sundae - Let it Snow
Charisma Cardz - With Love at Christmas

SSIC Missing You

Happy Sunday everyone! With Sunday comes another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Today our hostess is my dear friend Chris. Chris has chosen what I have shared before is one of my life verses: Ps. 73:26

"My health may fail, My spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever."

Chris is challenging us to use a pink ribbon and predominantly pink on our card in honor of October being breast cancer awareness month.

I think we all have been touched in some way by this terrible disease. I am dedicating this to my own sister who died at 44 with cancer, and many of you have lost loved ones way sooner than seemed right. It's hard to understand the whys of things like this, but I know for myself, God gave me this verse many years ago when I was first dealing with some health problems. I ran to God's Word for answers, comfort and direction, and of course I prayed, and prayed a lot. The answer was not the one I was hoping to hear, but God was so gracious to me, and answered me much like He did Paul, when he asked three times for healing. God's answer was "my grace is sufficient for you". I have found that to be true in my own life as well! This verse reminded me that while we all think our health is about the most important thing in our lives.... still, our earthly lives here are like a vapor compared to eternity and what we have waiting for us! I had to learn to yield my anxiety about my health.... what was the worst that could happen to me? I might die? But Paul tells us that for me to live is to live for Christ, but to die... that's gain! So what do I have to fear? God has comforted me and taught me that He has a plan and loves me dearly, and that even if ill or in pain, He still can use me. When ever He calls me to heaven, that pain and illness will forever be forgotten and my entire focus will be on Christ, The One who died for me and is mine forever! I do hope you have this assurance and the joy, freedom from anxiety and hope that it gives!

My card is made with this month's Our Daily Bread designs new release "Missing You". It's such a pretty image and I water colored this one, cutting it with a Spellbinder's Label 17 and embossing it. I used the out of the box technique for the bird house. This new Prima paper is so luscious I didn't want to cover it up so I used my craft blade and cut a few whisps of the design to extend over my design instead of being buried behind it. My sentiment is stamped on a scrap of white and I used an EK Success corner punch to punch the pennant end. I added some shimmer with a clear glitter pen and also highlighted with a white Sharpie paint pen. A little Glimmer Mist and it's ready to go.

Card Details: Stamps: Our Daily Bread designs Missing You Ink: Archival Jet Black Paper: Aquarella 140 lb water color paper, SU! Regal Rose base, Textured GTD by Momenta, DP is Prima Fairy Flora and Annalee Accessories: EK Success corner punch to punch the end of the pennant, Grossgrain ribbon from Michaels, Button from stash, Dragonfly Brad from HL, SU! Markers for coloring, Glimmer Mist in Irredescent Gold.

Our Sponsor this week is The Lolly Pop Shop! Be sure to check out the Stampin Sisters in Christ blog post for all the details and thanks to Lori Boyd for her generous donation!

For more inspiration, please visit my dt sisters:

Chris, Linda, Peggysue, Randi, Meisje, Rebecca, Lisa, Patti and Cindy

For the full devotional and challenge details please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge.

I am entering this in the following challenges:
ABC Challenge - F is for flowers
Tuesday Throwdown- Anything goes
Paper Cutz - Anything Goes
Tip Top Tuesday - Anything Goes
Meljjen's Designs- anything goes
Stampin Royalty - Ribbons
Craftalicious - Anything Goes
One Stitch At A Time - Embellish It
One Stop Craft Challenge - Inspiration Challenge photo (I used the colors)
Mark's Finest Papers (6 month anniversary!) Use die cuts of punches (I used both)

Thanks for stopping by today and for your sweet comments. Have a blessed week!!

Thank You!

Happy Sunday everyone! It's time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! This week our challenge hostess is sweet Patti! She has chosen 1 Timothy 4:4 for today's Scripture.

"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving."

Patti's challenge is to create a Thank You card.

I decided to step outside of my comfort zone this week and create a clean and simple design. I'm not comfortable with my CAS cards but this one has a certain country charm I am liking. I used Layers Of Color Garden Borders Clear Art Stamp Set which I stamped in my Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves Spectrum pad onto white card stock, and then sponged with THoltz Scattered Straw Distress Ink. I mounted that onto an EK Success Punched edge. The sentiment is Our Daily Bread designs Give Thanks. I stamped that on a scrap of So Saffron and cut with my Mega Oval Spellbinders, matted with a scalloped mega oval cut from Papertrey Dark Chocolate. The designer paper is K&Co, and the base is SU! Kraft. I added a few strands of raffia and sewed a button onto the bow. Quick, easy but gets the job done! LOL!

This week I have my Grandkids staying with me and we are having lots of fun, but my time is limited so my card making time is limited, and my post writing time is limited! I bet you can tell because I'm going to be brief in my post today! LOL! I hope you like my clean and simple card this week!

Our sponsor this week is Doodle Pantry and they are giving $10.00 worth of digis from the store! Thanks Laurie!

We'd love to have you play along! If you do, please leave a direct link to your card on the SSIC Blog and please link the challenge in your post!
Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

Chris
Cindy
Linda
Peggysue
Miesje
Rebekkah
Lisa
Patti
Randi (0n break this month)

Kaboodle doodles- Fall
Stampin B's -Fall card
Charisma- Fall card
Stamps r us - all nature
Paper Romance- Fall or Halloween
Ooh la la- nothing floral
Crafty sentiments- Fall colors
Stamp Man- Autumn
Stampin for the Weekend - Autumn Inspiration

Peace and Joy to You

Happy Sunday everyone! With Sunday comes another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Today, our hostess with the mostest is Miesje Flack! In the short time we've worked together I have come to love this lady and I know you will too! For this week's Scripture, Miesje has chosen John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Miesje's challenge is to create a card or project either using a Christian symbol of peace, or one that shows or shares peace.

Today, our world is anything but peaceful! Nations are not at peace, families are not at peace, individuals are not at peace! Jesus was promising a kind of peace that passes all our understanding, because as human beings living in a sinful world, there is no peace except for this peace that Christ offered. It comes from accepting Him as our Savior and being at peace positionally with God! That is TRUE peace and it is a gift of God, and can only be experienced by knowing Him, and being in right relationship with Him. Then our souls are at rest. Then we know true peace! With our souls secure and our future sure, we can face uncertain days, challenges in our every day lives, even BIG problems knowing that God is in control and will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose! Our priorities change, and our troubles take a back seat to the greater joy of knowing He is GOD, and He is in control. The whole world may seem out of control but rest assured my friends, He is in control and He can be trusted with your littlest struggle, and your great struggles! He desires to give you that peace and rest in Him. My wish for you is that you would know that peace and that joy!

With those thoughts in mind, I decided that I'd make a Christmas card using Our Daily Bread designs Peace and Joy set. I just love this snowflake set and this year, we have a special treat because Kelley is soon releasing a custom die cut set for this stamp set! Talk about making a laborious task go quickly!!! Wowza! Anyway, this new Snowflake Die set will be available Oct. 1! The card is on a caramel base and then I matted with Very Vanilla, punched down one edge with a Snowflake Martha Stewart punch, then I used my favorite Graphic 45 DP. That became the inspiration for my color scheme. I stamped the snowflakes with More Mustard on Very Vanilla and gave them a light "wash" with a water brush to give more of that yellowish tone of the dp. I cut them out with the dies, super quick... and then used the new Spellbinder's Snowflake Pendant from VV again, and the large die from Spellbinder's Create a Flake set from Caramel. I layered them all together with dimensionals. For my sentiment, I stamped with Adirondak Latte and cut with Spellbinder's Fancy Tags. I cut a second tag from caramel CS and mounted slightly offset for a shadow effect. The gold pearls finish it off (Queen & Co).

Our sponsor this week is Designed 2 Delight Digitals. Be sure to check out the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog for all the details!

We'd love to have you play along! If you do, please leave a direct link to your card on the SSIC Blog and please link the challenge in your post!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

Chris
Cindy
Linda
Peggysue
Miesje
Rebekkah
Lisa
Patti
Randi (0n break this month)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a peaceful and blessed week!

Cabin in the Woods

Hello everyone! Welcome to another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! Lisa is our hostess today and she chose the following verse:

2 Timothy 1-6 "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops."

There's great reward for running the race well! Timothy had all the right training... from his Mother and Grandmother and Paul himself... but ultimately, he had to put that training to work, help train others to also teach, and remember who it was he really was working for! Paul often used the phrase "run the race well" when referring to his job as God's servant. As we approach Father's Day, let's remember to thank and appreciate the men in our lives who are Dads. Lets especially appreciate all those who lead by Godly example, who don't compromise their faith, and are running the race well.

Lisa's challenge to us this week is to make a Father's Day card or a Masculine card.

I used the MMSC57 for my layout, and one of the free digi's over at Priscilla's new NING community "Crafter's Digital Art Center". They have a month long kick off challenge... anything goes! Several companies have chipped in free digis to get the group started! I chose this cabin in the woods image by Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps. I'm really new to digis... have only used I think 2 before, but I decided to give it a try. I loved this image and thought it would be perfect for a masculine card! I printed it on my Laser printer and then colored with Copics. I doodled in a little detail to give the bushes in the foreground a little dimension. I sponged over the whole thing with T Holtz distress ink to take the "whiteness" down. The frame is from Nellies Multi Frames from Terryfic Times. I used the simpler of the two options for the sketch, since this is a guy card. My only embellishments are the three little screw brads in two corners. The image panel is popped up and the wood dp is embossed with the CB Distressed Stripes EF. I added the MS trees punch double punched at the top and the sentiment is from Our Daily Bread designs set called "Dad". I used a SB label 8 for that.

We'd love to have you play along... if you do, please place a link to the Stampin Sisters in Christ Blog in your post, and place a direct link to your project on the SSCC thread.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for more inspiration for this week's challenge!

Here's links to the rest of the team to make it easier for you!

Chris
Candace
Linda
Kathy
Randi
Peggysue

Lisa
Miesje
Rebekkah

Thanks to our sponsor this week, Simon Says Stamp. They are donating a cute birthday cake set which you can see on the Stampin sisters in Christ Challenge.


Challenges Entered:

The Shabby Tea Room - Just for Dad
Cards For Men - Father's Day
I Love Digi - For Dad
Stamp Something - Happy Something (This is Dad's happy place)
Daisy Doodles - Father's Day
My Time to craft: xtra special- This is a card for my hubby's Dad who will be 96 this summer
Kah wink E Dink: six of something- six brads
Pixie Cottage- Father's Day
C.R.A.F.T Challenge#54- Boy to Men
Creative Craft Challenge- For the men in your life

Thanks for looking and I so appreciate your sweet comments! Have a blessed week!

Happy Birthday Kathy!

Hello everyone! Today is my Stampin Sister in Christ DT sister's birthday!

Happy Birthday Kathy!!!!

We on the Stampin Sister in Christ Design Team are throwing her a birthday party! We're all bringing different things to the party. If you came from Chris' Blog, you are on the right track and are probably feeling pretty good after that feast you had there!

Kathy's favorite color is RED! So with that in mind I brought her RED BALLOONS! But not thinking that was much to bring, I went shopping.


(Dig those Grandma legs, huh?)

OK... so
Something tells me before this summer is over, Kathy just might have need of some swimwear! But when you get to Kathy's age you really need to be careful about these things... So here is her "new" Vintage RED BATHING SUIT!

I do hope she likes it because I looked forever to find the right suit, appropriate for her age and it's just very difficult to find a 1930's light wool suit in RED!


And... not wanting her to get sun burned in that hot sun, especially with all the skin she'll be showing in this little swimsuit number, I thought a RED COVER UP would be in order... I know Kathy loves RED but not on her skin!


And finally, I thought she would need something to carry all her new beachware in, so I got her a big beach bag! Now where do you think she might be needing this?

Happy Birthday dear Kathy.... Happy Birthday to you!!!

From here please hop to Kristine's Blog to see what else Kathy is getting! You won't believe what a sister will give!!! And... why not stop by Kathy's blog to wish her happy birthday?

Stampin Sisters in Christ and a sneak peek

Hello everyone! It's time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge! We so enjoyed all your submissions for last week's distressed creations! They were amazing!


Our hostess this week is the lovely... Linda Lucas! For this week's Scripture, Linda has chosen Heb. 11:6 "For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
What a great verse to be pondering this week as we diligently seek Him!  Do we really believe this verse?  Do we actually diligently seek Him expecting Him to keep His promises?  Do you ever feel like your prayers are just words being spoken but you're not sure if He's really listening?  I think we all have felt that way some time... but perhaps when we do, we need to examine our own hearts.  God is the same... yesterday, today and forever.  If there's a time when we don't feel like our prayers are "getting through"... it's not Him that moved!!!  Let's examine our own faith today and be sure that we DO believe that He is God, there is no other.  Then lets reaffirm our belief that   He does reward those who DILIGENTLY seek Him. Then.... let's diligently seek Him!  So often we don't seek Him until the going gets rough in our lives and then our prayers are all about us and our needs, and yes, He DOES care about our needs very much, and He does answer prayer... but I've learned so much lately about prayer!  It's all about HIM!  It's a time to not only bring our petitions, but a time to truly worship Him, glorify Him, adore Him, and LISTEN to Him!  I think the idea of diligence means much more than "much talking"!  I think it includes much listening too!  I hope you have a blessed week diligently seeking Him!

Linda's challenge is:

Use a heart on your creation.  It can be the image, a charm, the dp.... anything with a heart.

For my project, I made a gift set.  Both this card and the little box with tea lights in it are made with a sneak peek at one of the new sets being released June 1 by Our Daily Bread designs, "From You to Me".  The gorgeous Fuschias were colored with Copics, and the sentiment was stamped with Memento.   The pink is Bazzill and the purple is Kaisercraft La-Di-Da (love it!!!).  I used the Martha Stewart around the page loop punch, an Ornaire Piercing template and tool, and Recollections pearls.  The yummy pink ribbon was in a wonderful blog candy I won from Crystal B (Sugar Crystals)!  Crystal, I'm still hoarding some of that yummy ribbon you gave me... I love it so much, thanks again!!!

For the box, I used a template I had purchased at a stamp show by Darcie's Designs.  I used the same papers and cut out my Fuschica image, popped it up, then stamped just the word "blessings" from one of the sentiments of another of  the new releases at ODBD, "God Loves You", and punched out the heart in white, drew a larger one in pink for a mat and cut that out, mounting on my ribbon.  Inside is a ring of green tea light candles with one fuschia one in the middle, all wrapped in some purple tissue that comes wrapped around your purchase when you purchase from the ODBD store!  I hope you enjoyed this little project, and I hope you'll play along with us this week!

For more inspiration for this challenge, please visit my dt sisters: Candace , Chris , Kathy, Linda, Lisa, Peggysue, and Randi

Our sponsor this week is Digital Delights by Louby Lou and they are donating 5 free digis to the winner!!!

Don't forget to stop by the Stampin' Sisters in Christ blog to see all the exciting creations the week.

If you create a card or project for this challenge, please leave a direct link to your project on the Stampin Sisters Challenge thread. Also, please include a link to Stampin Sisters in Christ in your post!

Please come back June 1 for the Our Daily Bread designs Blog Hop!  You are going to LOVE the new releases this month!  They are among my favorites of all time.... and there is a surprise set too... you don't want to miss this!!! See you then!

God's Gift of Love Stair Step Card

The Stampin Sister's in Christ Challenge this week was to make a card that depicted the Nativity or in some way reflected the true meaning of Christmas.  I immediately thought of this older SU! set.  I used the Stair Stepfold technique found here to create this card.  My images are stamped with Memento Ink and colored with Copics.  The card itself is made on GP White and then designer paper from The Paper Co. was added.  The framing for the star/cross is Not Quite Navy.  I overstamped the star with the cross from Refuge and Strength (also SU!) using So Saffron.  I then added  Hero Arts crystals to the rays of the star.

This was a super quick card to put together and would be very doable in mass for a Christmas card. 

Thanks as always for looking!  Your visits and comments mean so much!

Inspired Thinking of You

Hello friends! I hope you are having a blessed weekend!

I decided to play again in the Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge this week...

It was based on this wonderful verse:
Psalm 19:14: Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight Oh, Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

I love this Scripture! I love to pray this to God often. It reminds me of a dear old lady we knew in our Church many years ago... she would close every prayer with this verse! Anyway...we were to make a card for someone... a thinking of you or praying for you type card.

I also wanted to play the Inspiration Challenge over on SCS. I chose this as my inspiration piece, from the Kir DeVris Website. I used Bazzill for my base, layered with white and then on the back of another sheet of the Bazzill I stamped my image from Get Well, a Sept. release from Our Daily Bread Designs, in Craft White and embossed with White EP. I stamped the image twice so I could cut it out and pop up the butterflies later. I stamped the sentiment from the Sept. coordinating set, Thinking of You with VersaMagic Niagra Mist and clear embossed. I cut the sentiment out with a Spellbinders Ribbon Slide, sponged lighty and mounted over a panel I cut twice with my SB Lattice Borderability. A little ribbon, a little bling in the way of pearls and crystals, and a few butterflies I punched with my MS punch and stamped with the flourish from this set, and I was done.

I don't do CAS well... this was my attempt at it and while I think I captured the IC piece, that's about all I can say. I need more practice at CAS! Also, the color in the photo looks gray but it is really a misty green and quite a pretty color.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop and look and have a blessed weekend!